Singaporean health authorities warn that the current dengue fever making victims in the country has reached epidemic level.

The last time Singapore went through a dengue fever epidemic was in 2005, when 25 people died from the infectious disease.

This time around, two people have died, while the number of cases has risen from 293 to 401 within one week in mid-June, according to the National Environment Agency. Since the beginning of the year, 2,868 persons have suffered from the disease.

By June 2006, 1,392 were ill with dengue fever. The disease, which has no vaccine, lasts about six to seven days and is characterized by fever, nausea, rashes and joint pains.

The number of case has escalated due to the hot weather and intermittent rain which has inadvertently helped the feared dengue-transmitting Aedes mosquito reproduce.

Satish Appoo, director of the NEA's Environmental Health Department, said: “We just need residents' cooperation. If you remove the breeding, you remove the problem,” as quoted by The Straits Times.

Among the measures health officials have taken are inspections of homes, in search of breeding habitats. The NEA has increased the number of such visits since May, checking for spaces and recipients were water might be found, such as flowerpots, cans, bottles that have been thrown out etc.

In May, there were 171,000 home inspections. This year, over 2,300 breeding habitats have been discovered. The NEA urges all residents to change water frequently in flowerpots and all other containers.

Other points of investigation for the agency are drains, buildings and construction sites.