Malaysia reported its first case of Zika virus last week, where a 58-year-old woman was believed to have contracted it in Singapore. Husband works in Singapore.
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Dr Subramaniam said given the close proximity of Johor Bahru to Singapore, the increasing number of Zika cases in Malaysia is to be expected.
Subramaniam said authorities have inspected a wide area around her home and other places she had recently visited, and they were being fogged with mosquito-killing chemicals.
Her symptoms persisted after returning to Taiwan on Sep 3, the CDC said, adding that she was admitted to hospital on Sep 4 and was tested for Zika a day after.
Malaysia will focus its mosquito-eradication programme in Johor following suspicion the state was the centre of the Zika spread due to its proximity to Singapore, where it has recorded almost 300 Zika infections.
Malaysia on Saturday reported its first locally transmitted Zika case, a 61-year-old man who was already in fragile health due to other conditions and subsequently died of heart-related complications.
The virus infection is transmitted either by the Aedes aegypti mosquito or by sexual intercourse with an infected partner.
Although the symptoms of the virus are relatively mild and only 1 in 5 persons exposed to it become ill, those who are experiencing fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye, have been strongly advised to seek immediate medical care.
Zika infections in pregnant women have been shown to cause microcephaly in the foetus, a severe birth defect in which the head and brain are undersized, besides other brain abnormalities.
The virus was first detected in Brazil past year and has since been spreading to more than 30 countries, particularly in South America.
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Professor Paul Cosford, medical director at Public Health England, said: “Public Health England is monitoring the global situation closely and the risk to the United Kingdom remains very low”.
