The virus, which has caused alarm among Malaysian health authorities, was detected in a 58-year-old woman from Bandar Botanic, Klang in Selangor, said Malaysia’s health minister Dr. S.Subramaniam at a press conference.
Advertisement
In a statement release, officials said they have not found evidence of Zika-infected mosquitoes in this area. A pregnant woman was among the victims, they said. Though cases were limited to this area on Monday, by late Tuesday the MOH reported 26 new cases that showed how the Zika virus had spread to nearby residential areas.
External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said Indian Embassy in Singapore has reported that 13 Indians have been affected by Zika virus. Water drains, which are subject to regular flooding in the rain-soaked tropical island state, are also a point of particular concern.
The Zika virus is transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, but can also be transmitted sexually and through blood.
Many people infected with Zika virus won’t have symptoms or will only have mild symptoms.
The agency will begin mosquito control operations at the new potential cluster at Bedok North Avenue 3, and will also step up vector control in other parts of Singapore.
Demand for mosquito repellents and patches has soared across Singapore since last weekend, with supermarkets and pharmacies contacted by local media reporting efforts to replenish dwindling stocks. She began to exhibit symptoms of rash on August 28 and was tested positive on August 30, according to a press release from the ministry.
China is trade-dependent Singapore’s top overseas market, and the Zika outbreak coincides with a dip in overall exports and slowing economic growth in both countries.
“Over time, we expect Zika cases to emerge from more areas”.
In February, the World Health Organisation had declared Zika a public health emergency.
The outbreak and travel warnings come just two weeks before the Singapore F1 motor-racing Grand Prix, a major sporting and tourist draw.
Three mosquito samples tested positive from a small area in Miami Beach where increased trapping and intensified mosquito control measures are being implemented, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services said.
Advertisement
“They are not known to have travelled to Zika-affected areas recently, and are thus likely to have been infected in Singapore”, the Ministry said.
