Updated 06 May, 2018
SINGAPORE – Jurong West resident Noorul Zunaid, 49, was
surprised when he recently heard of the three deadly dengue cases in his
neighbourhood, but the father of two was not alarmed by the news.
“I don't notice a lot of mosquitoes around,” said Mr Noorul, who also runs a convenience store in the area.
He was not too worried as he said that the National Environment
Agency (NEA) had been actively inspecting the area and treating
potential breeding spots over the past three weeks.
Madam Ivy Tan shared the same sentiment as her neighbour.
“I'm healthy, so I'm not worried...and I'm very careful too,” said the 59-year-old in Mandarin.
However, these residents were not taking their chances.
Madam Tan said she does not use a plant saucer for her plants, and
she claimed her pot of lemongrass helps to keep the mosquitoes away.
On his end, Mr Noorul instructed his maid to ensure there was no stagnant water in the home.
One resident, who only wanted to be known as Ms Goh, said she had
been applying mosquito repellent on her three children, especially when
it rains.
“Everytime after it rains, a lot of mosquitoes come out,” said the 30-year-old customer service officer.
Residents of Block 932 Jurong West Street 92, which is beside an
identified dengue cluster, were paid a house visit by Mr Yee Chia Hsing,
Member of Parliament for Chua Chu Kang GRC, on Sunday (May 6) morning.
Mr Yee spoke to them about the precautions they could take to avoid
being bitten by mosquitoes, and also handed out educational pamphlets
and bottles of insect repellent. He was accompanied by representatives
from the People’s Association, Town Council, Residents’ Committee and
the NEA.
While no home inspections were carried out by the group on Sunday,
residents were told about potential mosquito breeding spots if they were
clearly visible.
“Despite this being a (dengue) red zone, you still see there are
water trays for plants that collect (stagnant) water,” said Mr Yee, who
stressed that residents’ cooperation was important in the fight against
dengue.
Mr Yee added that, contrary to the residents’ beliefs that dengue
breeding spots are located in common areas, 70 per cent are found in
homes.
These could be anything from a pail of water that a resident forgot
about, to even dish drying racks that had accumulated too much water.
“Everyone has to be extra vigilant and keep a lookout,” said Mr Yee.
To date, six households within the dengue cluster have been
uncontactable despite multiple visits and attempts by NEA to reach the
owners.
Mr Yee said that the agency would be doing a forced entry “this coming week”.
It was impossible to ascertain if there was stagnant water within
these households, but he added: “We are leaving no stone unturned.”
The Sunday house visits came a day after the Ministry of Health (MOH)
and NEA announced the deaths of three people living within the dengue
cluster in Jurong West – the largest this year – due to the virus.
The first case involved a 68-year-old Singaporean woman who died on
April 13 while overseas. About two weeks later, a 41-year-old
Singaporean man was admitted to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital (NTFGH)
for dengue. His condition deteriorated, and he died on May 3. That same
day, another 63-year-old Singaporean woman died.
The deaths were among 60 dengue cases reported in the cluster of 10
blocks (Blocks 933, 940, 943, 945, 946, 947, 948, 949, 950 and 952) in
Jurong West Street 91, and two blocks (Blocks 920 and 928) in Jurong
West Street 92.
Commenting on the Jurong West dengue outbreak on his Facebook page on
Saturday, Mr Masagos Zulkifli, Minister for the Environment and Water
Resources, said that both MOH and NEA are currently investigating the
factors that may have contributed to the severe cases in the cluster.
Since NEA was notified of the cluster on April 3, Mr Masagos said
that “140 NEA officers (were mobilised) to the area to step up
inspections and outreach efforts.”
According to NEA, multiple rounds of checks were carried out, both in
the day and in the evenings when residents were back from work, as well
as on weekends. As at May 3, a total of 117 breeding habitats were
detected.
Of these, 82 were found in residential premises, in common habitats
such as flower bowls, flower vases, fountain, pails, and dish drying
trays, some with very high larvae count of up to 200 larvae. Another 35
were found in common areas or other premises such as ground puddles,
gully traps and scupper drains.
There were no construction-related mosquito breeding found in the
area. NEA also conducted spraying of insecticides in the common
corridors, and in residents' homes.
“We urge everyone to help eliminate potential mosquito breeding
habitats, and reduce chances of dengue transmission,” said Mr Masagos.
Source: https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/jurong-west-residents-take-precautions-after-dengue-outbreak" rel="nofollow - https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/jurong-west-residents-take-precautions-after-dengue-outbreak