The Ministry of Health (MOH) stated that there were another 17 new cases of locally transmitted Zika virus infection confirmed as of 12 pm, 6 September, which brought the numbers to 275 cases.
The statement said that among these, 10 cases are linked to the Aljunied Crescent/ Sims Drive/ Kallang Way/ Paya Lebar Way cluster.
MOH said that there is a potential new cluster involving one previously reported case and a new case today. They both live in the Bishan Street 12 area. The other six cases have no known links to any existing cluster.
Earlier on last Saturday. MOH announced that the National Public Health Laboratory and A*STAR’s Bioinformatics Institute has completed the sequencing analysis of the Zika virus found in two patients from the Aljunied Crescent/ Sims Drive cluster. The analysis found that the virus belongs to the Asian lineage and likely evolved from the strain that was already circulating in Southeast Asia. MOH states that the virus from these two patients was not imported from South America and more details will be released by the research team shortly.
The National Environment Agency (NEA) said that the vector control is the key to control the disease, systematic and holistic approach through surveillance, prevention and control, outbreak management and outreach to arrest mosquito borne transmission in Singapore. Its objective is to keep mosquito borne disease incidence low through reducing the mosquito population and breaking the disease transmission chain.
It has been continuing with vector control operations and outreach efforts in Aljunied Crescent / Sims Drive / Paya Lebar Way / Kallang Way.
Operations and outreach efforts at the periphery of this cluster at Circuit Road, Geylang East Central, Geylang East Avenue 1 had been expanded. 65 breeding habitats, comprising 38 in homes and 27 in common areas/other premises, have been detected and destroyed as of 5 September.
Vector control operations and outreach efforts in Bedok North Avenue are also ongoing. 67 breeding habitats, comprising 56 in homes and 11 in common areas/other premises, have been detected and destroyed as of 5 September. Mosquito control measures are ongoing.
It has also conducted the vector control operations and outreach efforts at Joo Seng Road. Two instances of breeding in common areas/other premises have been detected and destroyed, as of 5 September.
It stated that vector control operations and outreach efforts at Bishan Street 12 will be conducted.
