News analysis

Dengue super clusters and why they are a danger

The more people infected, the higher the chance of spread to others around them

A red alert dengue banner at a bus stop in Geylang Road early last month. It is important for people with dengue to prevent themselves from being bitten again while they remain infectious. Even someone who has been bitten but has no symptoms can stil
A red alert dengue banner at a bus stop in Geylang Road early last month. It is important for people with dengue to prevent themselves from being bitten again while they remain infectious. Even someone who has been bitten but has no symptoms can still spread dengue and add to a cluster. ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE
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Dengue cases, while still at an all-time high, have been tapering downwards since early last month - and may drop below 1,000 cases a week for the first time in 13 weeks.

But the dengue peak season will not be over for at least another month, so people in hot spots need to be vigilant in order to break the chain of transmission and bring down numbers. To recap what has proven to be the worst dengue epidemic in Singapore's history:

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on September 07, 2020, with the headline Dengue super clusters and why they are a danger. Subscribe