There’s dengue clusters popping up across the country (119 active clusters , to be exact). And with a total of 12,539 dengue cases reported in Singapore so far this year, we have to take the necessary precautions to protect our families from dengue fever. Besides getting rid of stagnant water in all the usual spots, here are some products that we found helpful with getting rid of mosquitoes. Scroll below to see our recommendations, from natural mosquito repellents to mosquito traps that will zap those pesky bloodsuckers in an instant!
What you need to know about dengue fever
Dengue is spread to humans by Aedes mosquitoes. If the mosquito takes a bite from a dengue-infected person, it becomes infective after an extrinsic incubation period of eight to 12 days. The mosquito can effectively spread dengue fever for the rest of its lifespan. When a person is infected, they may develop symptoms after an incubation period of four to ten days. Symptoms include sudden fever, severe headaches, and joint and muscle pain.
As we enter the warmer months of the year, the breeding and maturation cycle of the Aedes mosquito accelerates, thereby increasing your chances of getting infected.
“To add fuel to this fire, a higher than usual rainfall and deserted construction yards due to the circuit breaker had resulted in pools of stagnant water that serve as effective breeding grounds for the Aedes mosquito,” says Dr Tan Kok Kuan, from Dr Tan & Partners Clinic.
He also cautions of a shift in the strain of dengue this year: “[It’s shifted] from the usual strain 2 to strain 3. The population is more susceptible to strain 3 dengue as they have not been exposed to it.”