Singapore: Japan has confirmed a rise in dengue fever cases and the country's health ministry has said that with the recent eight new cases, the total number of cases has risen to 104.

The ministry also said that most of the recent infections are believed to have originated in Tokyo's Yoyogi Park or nearby areas and the eight new patients are likely to have been bitten by dengue virus-carrying mosquitoes from the same area.

According to the ministry, eight people started developing symptoms from August 30 and the 104 infected people come from 15 prefectures across Japan. The first domestic case of dengue fever in nearly 70 years was reported late last month, it added.

Meanwhile, the country's Environment Ministry set up traps in the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden that has been closed for public. The ministry aims to check whether mosquitoes caught there carry the virus. This move comes after the Tokyo metropolitan government detected dengue virus in the mosquitos caught at four of 20 locations in central Tokyo's Yoyogi Park, where traps had been installed. A total of 266 mosquitoes, including tiger mosquitoes that transmit the dengue virus, were caught at the 20 locations.