Singapore on Friday reported its first case of the Zika virus, a 48-year-old male Singapore permanent resident who recently returned from Brazil.
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He will be transferred to the Communicable Diseases Centre at Tan Tock Seng Hospital for treatment.
The first imported case of the Zika virus infection has been reported in Singapore on Friday (May 13).
After developing a fever and rash, the man was admitted to Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital on May 12 and isolated, CNA reported.
The Zika virus is spread by the Aedes mosquito, which also transmits dengue.
The patient is now well and recovering, but will only be discharged when he tests negative for the Zika virus. Puerto Rican authorities are doing the best they can with the limited resources available to them, but we are seeing the consequences of political indecision on the public’s health.
Members of the patient’s household are being screened and told to monitor their health and to seek medical treatment when unwell, the statement said.
The virus can cause microcephaly, a severe birth defect in which babies are born with abnormally small heads. The World Health Organization declared it a global emergency in February.
NEA urged residents to cooperate fully with its officers and allow them to inspect their premises for mosquito breeding and to spray insecticide to kill any mosquitoes. Those who have travelled to affected areas should consult their doctors for testing of Zika, if they develop symptoms like fever and rash.
There is no vaccine or cure for Zika, which in most people causes only mild symptoms – a rash, joint pain or fever.
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The man developed symptoms of infection two weeks before the woman.
