SINGAPORE – A young man has become the first person to die of dengue in the current epidemic in Singapore.
So far, more than 8,000 people have come down with this viral infection that is spread by the Aedes mosquito.
The news of the death first broke on the Facebook page of Cuesports Singapore. It identified the man as 20-year-old Mr Ang Yong Han, a competitive pool player.
In a joint statement, the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the National Environment Agency (NEA) said they have been notified of the death of a dengue patient who lived at Hougang Avenue 1.
According to the statement, Yong Han was first seen at Tan Tock Seng Hospital’s (TTSH) emergency department (ED) on May 23, and diagnosed as having viral fever.
“His condition was reported to be stable and he was discharged with advice to return to the ED if his symptoms worsened. He was also asked to visit an outpatient clinic for follow up and a repeat blood test,” said the statement.
Three days later, he returned to TTSH’s ED and was admitted as a dengue case. “During admission, his condition deteriorated despite medical interventions, and he passed away on 29 May,” said the statement.
“This is the first dengue death case this year and it highlights the urgency for greater community vigilance to stamp out possible mosquito breeding spots,” said the MOH and NEA, as they expressed their “deepest condolences” to Yong Han’s family.
The NEA is conducting vector control operations at the vicinity of Yong Han’s residence (Hougang Avenue 1), which is a dengue cluster. “Residents should cooperate fully with the NEA inspectors conducting ground operations,” said the MOH and NEA.
The statement called on Singaporeans to “take appropriate precautions to prevent mosquito breeding by doing the Mozzie Wipeout weekly”, and those who suspect they may have dengue should consult their doctors as early as possible and use mosquito repellent to reduce the risk of spreading the infection further.
No comments:
Post a Comment