A victim’s story: How mystery illness turned out to be Zika
By
Iliyas Juanda
Published: 4:00 AM, August 30, 2016
Updated: 7:39 AM, August 30, 2016
SINGAPORE — He broke out in rashes two days after coming down with a slight fever, but after three blood tests and a urine test at Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) last Thursday, he was cleared to go home.
Then two days later, the 44-year-old man, who lives at Block 54 on Sims Drive, was told he may have caught the Zika virus and would have to go back to the hospital’s emergency department for further tests. He tested positive for the virus and was transferred to the Communicable Diseases Centre (CDC).
At that moment, his 55-year-old wife, Madam Ratnawati Mohd Yusoff, had two questions on her mind: What is Zika and how did her husband get it?
Mr Mohammed Firdaus Lim was one of the 40 patients who was confirmed to have the Zika virus by the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Sunday.
He is a stroke patient unable to move on his own and had not gone out two weeks before his fever.
After he was first cleared to go home from TTSH last Thursday, he and his wife went to Hougang, Upper Serangoon Crescent and Balestier over the next two days to run errands.
Madam Ratnawati also wondered why the hospital did not detect the virus during the first round of tests. “They already have other patients with Zika, they should know about it and should have been able to detect it earlier,” she said.
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500 mosquito traps placed at Sims Drive construction site where workers caught Zika
The Sims Urban Oasis condominium construction site at 60 Sims Drive, where 39 workers contracted the Zika virus.
Minister of State for Manpower Teo Ser Luck inspects the construction site.
Published2 hours ago
Joanna Seow
Lee Min Kok
SINGAPORE - The authorities have stepped up checks of worksites around Singapore after 39 workers at a construction site in Sims Drive contracted the Zika virus.
Main contractor Woh Hup has installed about 500 mosquito traps - up from 50 - around the workers’ dormitories and throughout the Sims Urban Oasis condominium’s construction site since the Zika cases were reported last week.
Workers are required to have their temperatures taken twice a day, while three layers of protection have been enforced: mosquito repellent, mosquito patches and a Parakito longer-term patch. Netting has also been added to the dormitory’s windows.
They each have a bottle of repellent and have been told to apply it every hour, while they are also given Vitamin C tablets daily.
These additional measures were observed by Minister of State for Manpower Teo Ser Luck, who visited the site at 60 Sims Drive on Tuesday (Aug 30) morning.
“We’re quite glad they reinforced the preventive measures and they made sure any single workers understand the seriousness of the issue,” Mr Teo told the media, adding that his ministry had sent out advisories to site operators and would step up inspections.
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Get tested, mums-to-be with signs of Zika urged
Published 5 hours ago
Testing with doctor’s referral is free; new cases found outside initial cluster
Abdul Hafiz
Deputy News Editor
All pregnant women who develop fever and rash, along with other signs of possible Zika infection such as red eyes or joint pain, have been advised to test for the virus.
This is regardless of whether they have been to Zika-affected areas. Those whose male partners are found to carry the Zika virus are also being urged to get tested, even if the women are not showing symptoms of the virus.
Testing after referral by a doctor is free at public healthcare institutions, added the Ministry of Health (MOH) last night, when it was revealed that the infection had spread beyond the initial Aljunied Crescent/Sims Drive cluster.
Of the 26 more cases confirmed yesterday, five involved people living or working in Kallang Way and Paya Lebar Way, areas just north of Aljunied and Sims Drive.
This brings the total number of local transmissions to 82, three days after a Malaysian woman living and working in Aljunied was identified as the first known case of a person being infected locally.
While a Zika infection is mild for most, it can have very serious consequences for pregnant women and unborn children. The Aedes mosquito-borne virus has been linked with microcephaly - a condition in which the baby is born with a much smaller head.
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Just how worried should Singapore be about the Zika outbreak?
Published 5 hours ago
Disease is mild for most, but could be tragic for some parents
Salma Khalik
Senior Health Correspondent
Singapore’s strong and sweeping reaction to the advent of Zika has taken some by surprise.
After all, the authorities have been saying for some time that it is inevitable Zika would come to Singapore and eventually become endemic, like dengue has here.
This is because it is spread by the Aedes mosquito which breeds easily in Singapore, and the vast majority who get infected by Zika show no symptoms but can be infectious. This makes it difficult to put a lid on the spread of the disease.
Yet officials from the Health Ministry and National Environment Agency, ministers, MPs and grassroots leaders have been out in force ever since it became known that local transmission of Zika has taken place here.
Is Singapore overreacting?
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Anti-mozzie ops to start in Kallang Way, Paya Lebar Way
Published 5 hours ago
Carolyn Khew
The National Environment Agency (NEA) and the Ministry of Health said yesterday that the agency will be commencing vector control operations in Kallang Way and Paya Lebar Way.
This is after 26 cases of locally transmitted infections were confirmed by the health authorities yesterday, with five of those infected having lived or worked in both areas.
About 5,000 premises have been inspected around Sims Drive and Aljunied Crescent for mosquito breeding, as vector control remains the most effective way to combat the Zika virus.
The National Environment Agency (NEA) has identified 6,000 to be inspected in this cluster of Zika transmission.Measures include intensifying misting and fogging activities in the vicinity of Aljunied Crescent to kill adult mosquitoes, and increasing the frequency of flushing and oiling drains to prevent mosquitoes from breeding in them.
A total of 39 breeding habitats - comprising 23 in homes and 16 in common areas and other premises - have been detected and destroyed.
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Demand soars for repellents, patches
Mosquito patches and repellents have been flying off the shelves, but retailers have assured the public that they are taking steps to ensure stocks remain available.
Published 5 hours ago
Ng Huiwen
Mosquito patches and repellents have been flying off the shelves, but retailers have assured the public that they are taking steps to ensure stocks remain available.
Supermarkets and pharmacies that The Straits Times contacted reported a surge in demand islandwide, since news of the first locally transmitted case of the Zika virus broke last Saturday.
Demand has been particularly strong in outlets in Aljunied Crescent and Sims Drive, where 77 people have been detected with Zika.
NTUC FairPrice said the sale of mosquito repellents, patches and insecticide across its branches has doubled. “We carry three types of house-brand insecticides, which have also seen a spike in sales this past week,” said its senior director for purchasing and merchandising, Mrs Mui-Kok Kah Wei.
A check on the supermarket website yesterday evening showed that the Baygon Multi Insect Killer was temporarily out of stock. The spray product, which costs $6.20, promises “maximum killing power” against mosquitoes, cockroaches and flies.
By the end of yesterday, several pictures of empty shelves across the island were circulating on the Internet, though stores maintain that they have sufficient supply.
Stock replenishments are under way at four Watsons outlets in the Aljunied Crescent and Sims Drive clusters, said general manager Dominic Wong.
Supermarket chain Sheng Siong saw between 25 per cent and 30 per cent growth in sales of anti-mosquito patches, coils, sprays and clip-on repellents, with a “substantial” increase in outlets in the north and east.
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Pregnancy and Zika: Here’s what you need to know
The MOH released a detailed FAQ on Zika and pregnancy, tackling the concerns of expectant mothers and couples wanting to start a family on Aug 30, 2016.
Published 5 hours ago
The Ministry of Health (MOH) yesterday released a detailed FAQ on Zika and pregnancy, tackling the concerns of expectant mothers and couples wanting to start a family. This comes as MOH and the Clinical Advisory Group on Zika and Pregnancy revised guidelines for pregnant women here in the wake of an outbreak of the virus in the Aljunied Crescent-Sims Drive area.
FOR COUPLES PLANNING PREGNANCY
Q If a woman who is not pregnant is bitten by a mosquito and infected with the Zika virus, will her future pregnancies be at risk?
A The Zika virus infection does not pose a risk of birth defects for future pregnancies.
Q If a couple is planning for pregnancy, what is the MOH’s advice if either one lives, works or studies in an affected area?
A If both the man and woman are well, they should take strict precautions against mosquito bites, and if they have further questions, they should consult their doctor.
If the woman develops fever and rash, and shows other symptoms such as red eyes or joint pain, she should seek medical attention promptly. If she tests positive for Zika, she should practise safer sex or abstain from sexual intercourse for at least eight weeks after recovery, before trying to conceive.
If the man shows symptoms, he should seek medical attention promptly. If he is found to have the Zika virus, he should practise safer sex through the use of condoms or abstain from sexual intercourse for at least six months after recovery.
FOR PREGNANT WOMEN AND THEIR PARTNERS
Q Are there any tests that can be done to determine if a pregnant woman is infected with Zika?
A Currently, the only reliable test is the reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test, which looks for genetic material of the virus in blood or urine.
However, the test is able to detect Zika infection in blood only within five to seven days of the onset of symptoms, and in urine within 14 days of onset. Therefore, the timeframe in which a pregnant woman can be tested using RT-PCR is very short.
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All you need to know about the Zika virus and the threat it poses
Published 3 hours ago
SINGAPORE - An outbreak of the Zika virus in parts of Singapore has seen the number of confirmed cases rise to at least 82.
Here’s all you need to know about the virus - from the dangers it poses to pregnant women to the steps one can take to minimise risk of exposure.
About the Zika virus and who is at risk
Q: What is the Zika virus?
A: It is a virus infection transmitted by the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito, which also carries the dengue and chikungunya viruses.
It is generally a mild disease; four in five people who become infected with Zika do not show any symptoms but could be infectious.
Q: What are the symptoms?
A: They include a fever, an itchy rash, body aches, headache, red eyes and occasionally, nausea and vomiting.
Q: Who is at greatest risk?
A: Unborn babies are the most at risk should their mothers become infected with the Zika virus.
Between 1 per cent and 10 per cent of women infected during pregnancy give birth to babies with defects. The most common defect is microcephaly, where the baby is born with a much smaller head, sloping forehead and damaged brain.
Q: Is there a cure?
A: At the moment, there is no cure or vaccine. Only the symptoms can be treated.
To avoid getting infected, use insect repellent and wear clothing that covers the body, arms and legs.
The public are also encouraged to do the five-step mozzie wipeout to prevent mosquitoes from breeding at home.
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Zika outbreak: Diners stay away from affected areas
Published 3 hours ago
Jalelah Abu Baker
Rachel Oh
Annabeth Leow
SINGAPORE - Residents are steering clear of open-air food options, almost a week after Singapore reported its first locally transmitted cases of the Zika virus.
There were numerous empty tables and no crowds to be seen, when The Straits Times visited Macpherson Market and Food Centre at lunchtime on Wednesday (Aug 31).
The food centre is in the heart of Paya Lebar Way, an area where Zika has spread beyond the initial cluster in Aljunied Crescent and Sims Drive.
On Tuesday, 26 cases of locally transmitted Zika infections were confirmed, with five of those infected having lived or worked in Paya Lebar Way and Kallang Way.
Ms Cindy Chen, 41, who works at a vegetarian stall, estimated that the number of customers had dropped by 40 per cent since the news of locally transmitted Zika broke over the weekend.
She said that she and her boss, Mr Edwin Lee, 49, were on their guard against the mosquito-borne disease.
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Six Johor entry points ramp up Zika screening
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Published: 10:30 AM, August 31, 2016
SINGAPORE — Six entry points into Johor are stepping up health screening after the detection of the Zika virus here.
The Johor Health and Environment committee has deployed extra teams from the state’s health and immigration departments to work around the clock at the six locations conducting checks, according to The Star on Wednesday (Aug 31).
The six entry points affected by the enhanced checks are Sultan Iskandar Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complex, Sultan Abu Bakar CIQ, Port of Tanjung Pelepas, Johor Port, Stulang Laut Ferry Terminal and Puteri Harbour Ferry Terminal.
Johor Health and Environment committee chairman Ayub Rahmat said on Tuesday that “visitors entering or exiting via any of the six entry points will have to pass a screening device to check their body temperature”.
Those registering a body temperature of above 37°C will have to undergo a health examination, he added.
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