Updated: 01/20/2013 04:24 | By Channel NewsAsia

Be more vigilant of Aedes mosquitoes: authorities

SINGAPORE: Health authorities are urging the public to be more vigilant in keeping their immediate surroundings free of the Aedes mosquito, after one case of the Chikungunya virus was reported at the start of the year.

The source of the virus originated overseas. Authorities have said that the number of such cases remains very low in Singapore.

Singapore saw a Chikungunya outbreak in 2008, affecting nearly 700 people. The number of reported cases dropped to 26 in 2010, and 12 in 2011. It rose to 22 in 2012.

The Aedes mosquitoes transmit both the dengue and Chikungunya viruses.

Experts said that Aedes mosquitos that transmit the dengue virus tend to live nearer to humans, while those that transmit the Chikungunya virus tend to live closer to areas with trees and vegetation.

—CNA/ac