One week ago, Singaporeans were told that the Zika virus had made a comeback here after less than a year.
At the time, three people in total were infected, and they all lived and/or worked in the Kovan area.
Now, the virus has infected two more people.
Source: CSU College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences on Flickr
One of these additional cases is from the Kovan cluster, enlarging it to four cases.
In a Facebook post on Friday (19 May), the National Environment Agency (NEA) said the number of total local Zika virus cases had risen to five as of 17 May.
This includes the three that were reported last week.
According to the NEA website, the two latest cases were reported in e-week 20 (14 to 19 May).
Source: NEA
Two of the previous cases emerged last week, in e-week 19 (7 to 13 May). This means that we have had two consecutive weeks of Zika cases.
The remaining case was recorded in e-week 16 (16 to 22 Apr).
NEA further noted that of the two latest cases, one was reported on Tuesday (16 May) and the other one on Wednesday (17 May).
Source: NEA
Only one Zika virus cluster exists so far — the existing one in the Kovan area.
It now has a total of four cases — up from three — all of which were found in the last two weeks.
Source: NEA
Apparently, the boundary of the cluster has been expanded slightly to encompass the residences around Highland Walk as well.
It also includes The Bently Residences, an apartment building at 30 Kovan Road.
Source: Google Maps
NEA didn’t reveal where the fifth case was found. Since it’s a single case thus far, no extra clusters need to be declared.
When the Kovan cluster surfaced, the authorities stepped up precautionary control measures, including alerting doctors to be vigilant for patients with Zika symptoms, especially if they reside or work in the Kovan area.
At the time, NEA also warned that there might be further cases.
Unfortunately, this has been proven to be accurate.
Kovan residents should thus continue to monitor their health, especially if they’re pregnant.
Source: Google Maps
If they feel unwell with symptoms of Zika, they should seek medical attention and inform their doctors where they live and work.
In case you’re wondering, the symptoms of Zika include:
However, many infected people don’t develop symptoms.
Source: Health Claps on Flickr
Pregnant women are especially vulnerable because Zika can cause microcephaly (i.e. a smaller head) in unborn babies, though this is rare.
While the Zika virus hasn’t been a major concern in Singapore yet, it has reared its head intermittently.
The last time it surfaced was in August 2022, when one case was reported sometime between 21 and 27 Aug.
As Zika is transmitted primarily by the Aedes mosquito, all Singapore residents should play their part to prevent further transmission by eradicating mosquito breeding habitats.
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from CSU College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences on Flickr and Google Maps.
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