SINGAPORE, May 10 (Xinhua) -- Singapore's environment watchdog was concerned about the upward trend about dengue and on Thursday called on the public to do more to bring down the number of homes breeding mosquitoes.

    The National Environment Agency (NEA) said there were 1,308 cases of dengue reported to date this year and it was high, considering the total number of cases reported for the whole of last year was about 3,120, the lowest since 2004.

    In April, some 400 more homes were found breeding mosquitoes, more than twice the number recorded in February, and more mosquito larvae were found in homes, local television Channel NewsAsia reported.

    Main mosquitoes breeding areas found in homes include domestic containers like pails, and flowerpot plates.

    "Perhaps our success last year to keep the cases low could have lulled the residents into a sense of complacency but I think we should very quickly snap out of this slumber and get into action and make sure that there is no place in the homes for mosquitoes to breed," Channel NewsAsia quoted Satish Appoo, a director of the NEA, as saying.

    The NEA urged homeowners not to wait until its officers come knocking on their doors before they take action. Homeowners will be fined 200 Singapore dollars (about 132 U.S. dollars) if their homes are found breeding mosquitoes.

    The NEA has deployed officers to inspect public housing in some areas which are prone to dengue outbreaks.