Dengue kills 28 in Singapore this year, hitting record high

SINGAPORE -- Singapore's dengue death toll in 2020 has reached 28 as of Oct 12, local media reported on Thursday quoting the Ministry of Health (MOH).

The number of dengue deaths exceeded the previous high 15 years ago and is equal to the number of Singapore's COVID-19 deaths, the Straits Times reported.

The victims were between 25 and 92 years old, according to the report.

It added that 24 among the 28 cases had worked or lived in active dengue clusters, and a quarter of the deaths occurred over the past five weeks since Sept 5.

According to the MOH website, as of Oct 12, Singapore's cumulative number of dengue cases for this year stands at over 31,400. Meanwhile, there are 176 active dengue clusters reported, where intensive dengue transmission is ongoing.