SINGAPORE – Two cases of locally transmitted Zika virus infection in Singapore have been confirmed at Simon Place near Kovan MRT station, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said on Wednesday (March 29).
The NEA was notified of the cluster on Tuesday, after two Simon Place residents from the same household contracted the virus. That afternoon, NEA commenced vector control operations and outreach activities in the vicinity.
Ten mosquito breeding habitats – seven in homes and three in other premises – were detected and destroyed, the NEA said in a press release.
Altogether, the NEA inspected about 120 premises out of about 400 premises in the cluster to check for mosquito breeding, and also conducted ground checks in the vicinity. Thermal fogging and misting were also carried out on Wednesday.
Residents at Simon Place were advised to apply repellent as a precaution. They were also told to maintain vigilance and continue to eliminate mosquito breeding habitats, as there could still be asymptomatic or mild, undiagnosed cases which might result in further transmission of the virus if there are mosquitoes in the vicinity, the NEA said.
Most people infected with Zika do not develop symptoms, so it heightens the risk of the virus’ resurgence as it may take some time before a reintroduced Zika virus is detected, the NEA added.
Members of the public are advised to seek medical attention if they are unwell, especially when they show symptoms such as fever and rash. They should also inform their doctors of the location of their residence and workplace.
The first Zika case in Singapore was confirmed in May last year. Since then, 458 cases of Zika infection were reported. Wednesday’s update brings the recorded number of Zika infections here to 460.
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