EHI’s Surveillance and Epidemiology Programme
supports the control of vector-borne diseases conducted by NEA’s Regional Offices and other land agencies, through surveillance and risk assessment.
EHI Diagnostics Unit
Licence no. L/9700247/CLB/002/222
Established in 2006, EHI Diagnostics is a unit under the Environmental Health Institute (EHI) of the National Environment Agency (NEA). It is the product of applied research, and aims to provide non-profit, inexpensive, and accurate dengue and chikungunya diagnostic services to doctors, and serve as a gateway for disease surveillance in Singapore.
EHI Diagnostics’ premises are fully licensed by the Ministry of Health (MOH) Singapore, and comply with its requirements as a medical diagnostic laboratory. EHI Diagnostics also participates in the External Quality Assurance (EQA) programme offered by the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia (RCPA) for Flavivirus and Alphavirus, and Malaria Proficiency testing conducted by MOH.
Standard Tests
Dengue
- Detection of Dengue virus and serotyping of Dengue virus using RT-PCR
- Detection of Dengue IgM and IgG using diagnostic kit / device (rapid cassette test and ELISA)
- Detection of Dengue using NS1 Antigen (rapid cassette test)
Chikungunya
- Detection of Chikungunya virus using real-time RT-PC
- Detection of Chikungunya IgM and IgG
Zika
- Detection of Zika virus using RT-PCR
Additional Services (Other tests)
- Detection of Dengue neutralization antibodies using Neutralisation assays
- Detection of Chikungunya neutralization antibodies using Neutralization assays
- Detection of Yellow Fever neutralization antibodies using Neutralisation assays
- Detection of Yellow Fever virus using RT-PCR
- Detection of Japanese encephalitis virus using RT-PCR
- Detection of Flavivirus using real-time RT-PCR
- Detection of Rickettsiae antibodies in serum using IFA
- Detection of Malaria parasites from blood samples using the PCR
For Standard Tests, results will be available within 2 working days upon receipt of samples.
For Additional Services, results will be available within 10 working days upon receipt of samples.
For any enquiries, please contact us at:
EHI Diagnostics, Environmental Health Institute, 11 Biopolis Way, #04-03/04 & #06-05/08, Helios Block, Singapore 138667. Tel: 65710470, Fax: 67772275
Surveillance
EHI has developed a dengue outbreak alert system based on the circulating dengue virus serotypes. The virus surveillance system, together with case surveillance (by MOH), vector surveillance (by NEA), and ecological surveillance, constitute the four pillars of surveillance for vector-borne diseases in Singapore.
The virus surveillance system, based on a network of primary healthcare clinics, enabled detection of the chikungunya outbreaks in 2008 and 2013, and warnings ahead of the 2013-2014 dengue outbreak. In 2012, dengue virus surveillance was expanded into a cross-border surveillance system, when the UNITEDengue (UNited In Tackling Epidemic Dengue) network was set up together with Malaysia and Sumatra, Indonesia.
Making sense of data
Data generated from the multi-pronged surveillance system are analysed to understand the epidemiology of diseases, for temporal and spatial risk stratification, and to forecast future trends in dengue incidence. Field studies are also conducted to determine risk factors for dengue and chikungunya. Such efforts enable operations to target areas with a higher risk of disease transmission. Besides dengue and chikungunya viruses, pathogens under the programme’s watch include the Japanese encephalitis virus, West Nile virus, and malaria parasites.
The team, comprising statisticians, geo-informaticians, bioinformatics specialists and field researchers, systematically leverages technology and mathematics to enhance our situational awareness for targeted interventions.