The Singapore Health Ministry has confirmed that a permanent resident has been infected with the Zika virus after visiting Brazil for a business trip from March 27 to May 7. He stayed home most of the time after returning to Singapore on May 7, and did not go to work before he was admitted.
He developed a fever and rashes three days after landing in Singapore, and tested positive for Zika on May 13.
Thus far, Brazil is the country that is most affected by Zika, which is spread by Aedes mosquitos. Between January 3 and April 2, more than 91,000 Zika cases have been reported.
The World Health Organisation concluded that the Zika virus can cause microcephaly, or abnormally small heads, in unborn children if the mothers are infected. It is also a cause of Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare condition in which a person’s immune system attacks the nerves.
Following this, the Malaysian Health Ministry (MOH) has been in constant contact with its Singapore counterpart to exchange the latest updates on the virus to take preventive measures. As of May 12, the virus was not detected in the country, but the MOH warns that Malaysia is at risk if people here visited the affected nation.
The MOH has since enhanced its monitoring at many immigration checkpoints.
Please do get rid of any possible mosquito breeding grounds, wear more long-sleeved shirts and long pants, and use mosquito repellent as and when you can. Take extra care, people!
