Elderly man 3rd to die from dengue this year

Elderly man 3rd to die from dengue this year

SINGAPORE - Dengue has killed an 86-year-old man, the third person to die in Singapore from the mosquito- borne disease this year, as the epidemic soars to a new high.

The Sembawang Road resident died on Tuesday evening despite receiving blood transfusions at the intensive care unit in Khoo Teck Puat Hospital.

His death comes as the dengue outbreak hit an all-time weekly peak of 842 cases last week, up from 810 the week before.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) and the National Environment Agency (NEA) said in a statement on Tuesday night that the man had gone to the hospital's emergency department on Saturday complaining of fever.

Although a blood test showed he was in a stable condition, he was hospitalised for further observation, the hospital said.

But his condition took a turn for the worse on Monday, when he showed signs of bleeding under the skin. A second blood test revealed a low platelet count. He also tested positive for dengue.

"His condition deteriorated rapidly, and he developed multi organ failure," said the hospital.

He was taken to the intensive care unit, where he died of dengue shock syndrome, a dangerous condition where the body's organs shut down.

MOH and NEA said measures to detect and destroy potential mosquito breeding sites are ongoing in the man's neighbourhood.

chpoon@sph.com.sg


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