MOSQUITO-BORNE DISEASES (Particulars of incidence)

Mr J. F. Conceicao asked the Minister for Health what was the incidence of mosquito-borne diseases during the period 1st January to 30th September, 1968; and whether any distribution pattern is discernible in the incidence of such diseases.

Mr Chua Sian Chin: Mr Speaker, Sir, the mosquito-borne diseases in Singapore are:

(i) Malaria.

(ii) Dengue and haemorrhagic fevers.

(iii) Japanese encephalitis.

(iv) Filariasis.

Malaria is notifiable to the Public Health Division under the Quarantine and Prevention of Disease Ordinance; dengue and haemorrhagic fevers are not notifiable under this law, but are notified by administrative arrangements from Government hospitals and other Government institutions to the Public Health Division for follow-up. No notification is required in the cases of encephalitis and filariasis and figures are therefore not available for the period stated.

The reported incidence of malaria and dengue and haemorrhagic fevers during the period 1st January to 30th September, 1968, is as follows:- Dengue and 1968 Malaria haemorrhagic fevers January 25(one local) 21 February 28(one local) 18 March 15 7 April 32 10 May 60 14 June 61 13 July 63 11 August 32 22 September 24 10 --- --- Totals: 340 126 === ===

The incidence of malaria substantially reflects the situation in neighbouring countries. Only two of these cases (the first in Punggol and the other in Pulau Ubin) could be considered to be of local origin, whereas the rest of the 340 cases are imported cases. Surveys have shown that no local transmission of malaria is occurring.

The vast majority of the dengue and h‘morrhagic fever cases are found in urban areas. This is in accord with the distribution of the Aedes mosquitoes which is essentially urban in character. The cases occur mostly among children and young adults with more or less equal sex distribution.