EHI’s new facility includes a High Containment Laboratory at Biosafety Level 3, which provides an appropriate setting for surveillance of other high risk vector-borne viruses, like West Nile Virus, Japanese Encephalitis virus and Hanta viruses. It also includes an Arthropod Containment Laboratory that allows research on infected mosquitoes to be conducted.

Safety of staff and security of hazardous material is of particular concern, particularly for work involving infection of mosquitoes and highly pathogenic viruses. This will be addressed through the physical features of the facility, combined with thorough staff training and comprehensive Standard Operating Procedures.

One of EHI’s most recent major projects involved a pilot study to develop an Ovitrap Index/early warning system, and to establish a sensitive and sustainable Aedes monitoring programme for a densely populated HDB estate. It has been successfully completed at Marsiling (an active dengue transmission area). The study site was divided into zones, and 1,615 ovitraps were placed at 128 blocks of HDB flats, and monitored weekly over a 3-month period. Data analysis showed that 5 ovitraps per block were sufficient for effective surveillance.

However, the study must be repeated at other areas to obtain localized and relevant indicators. A roll-out plan will be implemented beginning at end July 2006. Each Regional Office will commence with one sensitive area, in which 5 ovitraps will be deployed at each of 100 blocks of HDB flats, and monitored over a 3-month period. The roll-out will eventually be extended to all areas of the island and all property types, to give baseline data for Singapore.