Debated in Parliament on 8 Jul 2013.
Ms Lee Li Lian asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources whether the Government takes into consideration that dengue victims may be bitten at areas outside of their place of residence when classifying an area as a dengue cluster.
The National Environment Agency (NEA) conducts epidemiological investigations to trace the movement history of dengue patients so as to pinpoint the likely sources of dengue transmission. NEA classifies an area as a dengue cluster when the workplaces or residences of two or more dengue patients whose fever onset dates are within 14 days of each other are less than 150 metres apart.
NEA officers carry out intensive search-and-destroy operations of mosquito breeding habitats at both indoor and outdoor areas within dengue clusters. NEA will also extend vector control operations beyond the identified dengue clusters to MRT stations, markets, food centres and other congregation areas if it suspects that there is dengue transmission at these places.
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