The Department of Health (DOH) is on alert regarding flights from Singapore where local transmission of 41 confirmed cases of Zika virus have been confirmed by authorities over the weekend. This brings the new tally to 56. “The patient is now well and recovering”, the joint news release said.
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Neighboring countries and regions are taking steps to prevent the spread of the disease from Singapore.
The MOH, warning of further community transmission, said other areas of concern at this point include Khatib Camp, Sembawang Drive and places where the construction workers live, including Kranji Road, Joo Chiat Place, Senoko South Road, Toh Guan Road East and Lorong 101 Changi. That site has been ordered to halt work, and workers’ dormitories are being inspected.
In response, MOH said the National Environment Agency (NEA) had already intensified its vector control operations in the infected area and also conducted outreach to residents and other stakeholders in the vicinity. She is due to give birth this week.
One of the cases discovered on Sunday involved a Singaporean man who works at the GuocoLand site but who lives outside the Aljunied area.
Around the region, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines have “possible endemic transmission or evidence of local mosquito-borne Zika infections in 2016”, the World Health Organization said.
The WHO said in a statement on Sunday that it did not know “which lineage of Zika is circulating” or “what the level of population immunity is to this lineage of Zika in Asia”.
“Adopt additional measures advised by the Department of Health, including deferring non-essential travel if pregnant, avoiding pregnancy for two months following your return and other advice for both males and females”, it added.
Meanwhile, Batam Port Health Office chief Anas Makruf said passengers arriving in Batam also needed to fill in a health report card to look for symptoms such as fever, rash, red eyes and headache.
He also urged anyone with signs of viral infection such as fever, rashes, joint pains and conjunctivitis, to get treatment at the nearest clinic or hospital.
The ongoing Zika outbreak was first detected previous year in Brazil, where it has been linked to more than 1,800 cases of microcephaly, and has since spread rapidly through the Americas.
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They were among the 118 workers from the Sims Drive construction site who were tested by MOH following news of the first locally-transmitted case.
