Singapore reports 22,318 dengue fever cases in 2013, easily surpassing the 2005 epidemic
The Asian city-state and island country of Singapore recorded record numbers of the mosquito borne viral disease, dengue fever in 2013, smashing the numbers of their previous worst epidemic recorded in 2005, according to final numbers from the National Environmental Agency.
Photo/CDC-James Gathany
In the 2005 epidemic, Singapore reported approximately 14,000 cases and 25 deaths; however, from Jan. 1 to Dec. 3, 2013, health officials tallied 22,318 cases during the year, an increase of more than a third compared to 2005.
The good news was, the case fatality rate in 2013 was only .03 percent as Singapore health officials reported only seven deaths during the year.
Dengue fever is an infectious disease carried by mosquitoes and caused by any of four related dengue viruses. This disease used to be called “break-bone fever” because it sometimes causes severe joint and muscle pain that feels like bones are breaking.
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Although the World Health Organization (WHO) says on their recent fact sheet that they currently estimate there may be 50–100 million dengue infections worldwide every year, researchers from the University of Oxford and the Wellcome Trust, using cartographic approaches, estimate there to be 390 million dengue infections per year worldwide.
There are three types of dengue fever in order of less severe to most: the typical uncomplicated dengue fever, dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHS) and dengue shock syndrome (DSS).
There is not a vaccine for dengue fever. There is no treatment for dengue, just treat the symptoms.
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