Singapore: The National Environment Agency and Ministry of Health of Singapore has confirmed its first case of a pregnant woman testing positive for the Zika virus infection.
The health ministry said that the pregnant woman was living in the virus-hit industrial area and housing in the southeast of the island.
The total number of cases of the mosquito-borne virus in the city-state rose to 115.
The woman displayed mild symptoms of the virus, then on Wednesday she was taken to K K Women’s and Children’s Hospital. A member of her household was also diagnosed as positive for Zika.
The authorities said that the doctor of the woman is following up closely with her to monitor her health as well as the development of the baby.
In a statement on Wednesday – The Ministry of Health and National Environment Agency said that a new potential cluster was identified in the housing estate of Bedok North Avenue 3.
NEA said it would begin mosquito control operations at the cluster involving three previously reported cases.
NEA said that Our efforts will extend to other parts of Singapore and it will stepping up its vector control efforts to wider areas.
Health Minister of Singapore – Gan Kim Yong said in a statement that Over time, we expect Zika cases to emerge from more areas. We must work and plan on the basis that there is Zika transmission in other parts of Singapore and extend our vector control efforts beyond the current affected areas.
US has warned its pregnant women not to travel to Singapore, while South Korea, Taiwan and Australia have also issued travel alerts to their nationals on Singapore.
The first locally transmitted Zika case of Singapore was that of a Malaysian woman 47 year old. The case came to light late last month.
In a joint news release, NEA and MOH had said that as she had not travelled to Zika-affected areas recently, she was likely to have been infected in Singapore.
