Health Alerts

More on Sri Lanka’s ongoing dengue outbreak this week with a local news article ascribing the rise in cases to a ‘previously latent’ strain of the virus (DENV-3), combined with intermittent rains since August. Surges in the incidence of dengue are occurring in alternate years as a latent strain becomes dominant - a general increase in dengue cases has been seen over the past 10 years. Singapore is also experiencing a resurgence of the same DENV-3 strain, one that has been relatively uncommon in the country for the past three decades, and so immunity among the population is low. The NEA is warning that high mosquito densities and dengue cases, plus the presence of the DENV-3 strain may lift the weekly case count above the current 300-400. Read more.