Singapore reports 41 locally transmitted Zika cases

Singapore, Aug 28 (AFP) Singapore today confirmed 41locally transmitted cases of the Zika virus, which can causedeformities in unborn babies, and said more infections arelikely. A day after announcing its first locally transmittedcase, that of a 47-year-old Malaysian woman resident, thegovernment reported 40 more — mostly foreign workers at aconstruction site. All 41 are residents or workers in a particular suburbanresidential and industrial district, the Ministry of Healthand the National Environment Agency said in a joint statement. "They are not known to have travelled to Zika-affectedareas recently, and are thus likely to have been infected inSingapore," the statement said. "This confirms that local transmission of Zika virusinfection has taken place." It said that at this point the community transmission ofthe virus appears to be localised within the AljuniedCrescent and Sims Drive area, which hosts high-riseresidential blocs and some industries. However, since Zika is spread by the Aedes mosquito –which also carries the dengue virus — the health ministry"cannot rule out further community transmission… since someof those tested positive also live or work in other parts ofSingapore", the statement said. The health ministry said it has alerted clinics andhospitals to be "extra vigilant" and report patients withsymptoms associated with the virus, mainly fever and rash. Health Minister Gan Kim Yong told local media moreimported cases are likely because Singapore is aninternational travel hub. And because many Zika carriers display only mild symptomsor no symptoms at all — meaning infected people may not seektreatment — local transmission of these imported cases "isalso very high", he said. Health officials said the current infections came tolight after a local clinic on August 22 reported an unusualrise in viral fever. This prompted a check by health ministry experts, whotold doctors to refer new cases to the government-runCommunicable Diseases Centre. The National Environment Agency has deployed more than200 officers to inspect and destroy possible mosquito breedingsites in the area. According to the statement, 36 of the 41 cases involveforeign labourers working at a construction site in the area. Work was halted at the site yesterday after an inspectionby environment agency officers discovered that housekeepingwas "unsatisfactory with potential breeding habitatsfavourable to mosquito breeding", the statement added. Singapore hosts thousands of foreign constructionworkers, most of them from South Asia. (AFP)AJR