Lockdowns May Be Driving Another Virus Wave: Dengue Fever
- Singapore weekly dengue cases exceed 1,000 for the first time
- Malaysia, Indonesia experience sustained rise amid wet weather
A pedestrian walks along the deserted Boat Quay in Singapore on May 20.
Photographer: Lauryn Ishak/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Getting people to hunker down at home has helped stem the coronavirus pandemic, but in parts of Southeast Asia, it’s spurred another potentially deadly disease: dengue.
The mosquito-borne viral illness, sometimes known as break-bone fever because of the joint-pain it inflicts, has skyrocketed in the tropical region just as the usual dengue-spreading season begins. Singapore reported an average of 165 cases a day in the week through June 13, a record which authorities said may herald the largest dengue outbreak in the city-state’s history.