Of the three Zika-positive mosquitoes, officials said that one came from traps at the botanical garden.
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In his letter, Buchanan also warned of “fertile breeding ground” created by heavy storm rainfall for Zika-carrying mosquitoes.
“Zika infection has both serious short-term consequences and unknown long-term effects”.
Ministry of Health (MOH) has just issued a press release which states that as of 12 pm of 2 September, another 38 new cases of locally transmitted Zika virus infection found in Singapore, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 189.
Singapore has a chronic problem with dengue, which is spread by the same Aedes mosquito that transmits Zika through bites.
“We have been tracking Zika for a while now, and knew it was only a matter of time before it reached Singapore”, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong posted on his Facebook page. “More can be done”.
Ministry of Health and National Environment Agency officials have reportedly been fogging outdoor areas and inspecting private homes in search of pools of stagnant water.
Dr Piyasakol also explained that Zika was not new to Thailand.
Seventeen countries have reported cases of microcephaly or other central nervous system malformations in babies, and eighteen signalled an increase in GBS, according to the World Health Organization.
Travel advisories from governments and health organisations, however, are consistent in urging pregnant women and those planning to become pregnant to avoid non-essential travel to countries with Zika outbreaks.
Speaking after a meeting of the WHO’s emergency committee on Zika, its chairman David Heymann said the disease continued to constitute an worldwide health emergency although the risk to people attending the Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro this month was low.
An estimated 80 percent of people infected have no symptoms, making it hard for pregnant women to know whether they have been infected. Most people infected with Zika will show no symptoms or will have only mild symptoms of fever, rash, joint pain, conjunctivitis and, possibly, muscle pain and headaches that may last for several to a week. It is known to be fatal in severe cases.
The woman was referred to the Sungai Buloh Hospital and a urine test confirmed she was infected with the Zika virus, he said.
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SINGAPORE-Singapore is encouraging residents to use insect repellent, clear blockages in drains and wear long-sleeved clothing to protect themselves from mosquitoes as the number of Zika infections rose to 151 in this city state.
