Half of Americans wary of travel to US Zika zones

The connection between Zika and microcephaly first came to light past year in Brazil, which has since confirmed more than 1,800 cases of microcephaly. “The source of infection is suspected to have occurred in Singapore”, the statement said.

Dr. David Heymann, the committee’s chair, said Friday that considerable gaps remain in understanding Zika and the complications linked to the mosquito-borne disease – including brain-damaged babies – and World Health Organization concluded that the outbreak remains a global emergency.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) said Singapore represents a role model for countries in its handling of Zika cases, and praised the level of transparency shown here. The WHO has investigated 1,845 cases so far.

After Hurricane Hermine came ashore along the northern Gulf Coast early Friday, Florida Gov. Rick Scott urged people to dump standing water, “no matter how small”, to eliminate mosquito breeding grounds.

Zika has relatively mild effects for most people – several days of uncomfort and illness but followed by full recover.

Zika infection in pregnant women can cause the rare birth defect known as microcephaly and has also been linked to severe fetal brain abnormalities.

Singapore had reported 115 cases as of Wednesday.

“This is the first time we have found a Zika virus-positive mosquito pool in the continental United States”, said Erin Sykes, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

Health Ministry spokesman Oscar Primadi said Thursday that health officials are recommending that the Foreign Ministry issue an advisory against nonessential travel to Singapore.

Last Saturday (Aug 27), the authorities announced that a locally transmitted case had been detected in the Aljunied area.

The Union Health Ministry has asked the External Affairs Ministry to inform it if any of the 13 Indians, who have tested positive for Zika virus in Singapore, decide to return to Indiaso that appropriate measures can be taken. “The impact on populations will also depend heavily on the country’s ability to diagnose and respond to a possible outbreak”, said author Dr Kamran Khan, St Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, Canada.

This is similar to its approach to dengue cases, NEA said. Race promoters have said preparations were going according to plan.

Singapore, a regional financial centre and transit hub, is the only Asian country with active transmission of the virus.

Three of the new victims, not linked to any existing infection clusters, live in Tagore Avenue, Yishun Street 81 and Harvey Crescent, the Ministry of Health (MOH) and National Environment Agency (NEA) said in a joint statement.