AUTHORITIES are stepping up efforts to destroy mosquito breeding grounds in Little India in a bid to prevent a new, dengue-like disease from securing a foothold here.

Workers are 'doing whatever they need to do' to remove pools of stagnant water in the wake of an outbreak of Chikununya fever, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Yaacob Ibrahim said on Sunday.

'We already have a dengue challenge, we do not want another challenge on the public health front. So, we want to try and contain this as soon as possible.'Eight people have tested positive for Chikununya since last Monday. All the cases were reported around the Clive Street area in the heart of Little India.

The virus, which is endemic in neighbouring countries like Indonesia, is spread by the Aedes mosquito.

It is rarely fatal, although its symptoms are similar to those of dengue, such as joint pain, chills and nausea.

The National Environment Agency is currently working with medical authorities and property owners in Little India to ensure the area is kept free of standing water, said Dr Yaacob.

'We are confident that given the current level of effort that we've put in place, we can get this under control.'

No new cases have surfaced in the last two days.

Health officials learned important lessons in the dengue outbreak of 2005, Singapore's worst, said Dr Yaccob.

The country's procedures for containing mosquito-borne illnesses are 'working very, very well', he said.

The minister asked residents across the island to check their households for potential breeding sites.

'If Singaporeans keep their place clean and free of stagnant water, we will not have this problem,' he said.

He also said more measures to combat the spread of the Chikungunya virus will be discussed in Parliament this year.

The Ministry of Health was first notified of Chikununya by a general practitioner on Jan 14 when a 27-year-old Bangladeshi patient tested positive for the disease.