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Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung has contracted dengue fever, but is well on the road to recovery.

Ong shared the news in a Facebook update on Apr. 15.

Negative ART results

Ong revealed he was having muscle aches last Saturday (Apr. 9), which he initially thought was due to over-exertion from exercising.

However, the aches persisted, so he took multiple Antigen Rapid Tests (ART), but all of them turned out to be negative.

On Apr. 14, rashes started to develop all over his arms and body, prompting him to take a blood test.

The results confirmed his suspicion that he had contracted dengue several days ago.

He reported a slightly lower platelet count that was still "not too bad".

Ong's doctor informed him that he had "somehow endured through the illness" and is on his way to recovery, as long as he stays hydrated.

The health minister also took the opportunity to remind the public that dengue season is upon us and cautioned everyone to be careful.

"Aedes mosquitoes breed in clean water, usually in homes, on the balconies and along the corridors. So get rid of stagnant water, consider using repellant sprays or swatters to keep the mozzies away," he advised members of the public.

Ong ended his message by reassuring everyone that he will "take it easy" and let his body rest during the long weekend.

What is dengue?

Dengue fever is a disease caused by the dengue virus, which is transmitted to humans via the bite of an infective Aedes mosquito.

It does not spread from person to person.

The mosquito becomes infected after it feeds off a dengue-infected person.

When a person is bitten by an infective mosquito, they may develop the following symptoms after an intrinsic incubation period of four to seven days:

• Sudden onset of fever for two to seven days
• Severe headache with pain behind the eyes
• Joint and muscle pain
• Skin rashes
• Nausea and vomiting
• Mild bleeding (e.g. nose or gum bleed)

An intrinsic incubation period is the time between an infection and the onset of symptoms from the infection.

However, up to 75 per cent of dengue infections are asymptomatic.

Four different serotypes of dengue virus (DENV1-4) circulate in the world, including Singapore.

Hence, individuals can be infected with dengue up to four times.

First-time dengue infections can be severe, especially among the elderly and those with pre-existing medical conditions, and repeat dengue infections have been associated with a higher occurrence of severe dengue.

In rare cases, dengue may progress to dengue haemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome, both of which can be fatal.

For more information on dengue, click here.

Sharp rise in dengue cases

On Apr. 13, the National Environment Agency (NEA) observed a sharp rise in weekly dengue cases ahead of the peak dengue season in June.

In the week that ended on Apr. 9, there were:

• 646 new cases (137 cases more than in the previous week)
• 143 active clusters (24 clusters more than in the previous week)
• 3,981 total cases since the start of 2022

The largest dengue cluster in Singapore is located in the areas of Grove Crescent/Grove Drive/Holland Grove Drive, where 244 dengue cases have been detected so far.

To protect yourself and your family, NEA recommends:

• Spraying insecticide in dark corners around the house
• Applying insect repellent on yourself and your family regularly
• Wearing long-sleeve tops and long pants

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Top images via Ong Ye Kung's Facebook page and Muhammad Mahdi Karim.