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SINGAPORE — The first Zika cluster in Singapore this year has been detected, after three cases of locally transmitted Zika virus infection have been confirmed near Serangoon Gardens, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said on Friday (13 September). All three cases are residents in the Hemsley Avenue vicinity. The Zika cluster was notified on Friday. Residents and stakeholders are urged to maintain vigilance and continue to eliminate mosquito breeding habitats, as there could still be asymptomatic or mild, undiagnosed cases which might result in further transmission of the virus if there are mosquitoes in the area. The Zika cluster is in close proximity to an 8-case dengue cluster at Bridport Ave / Cowdray Ave / Huddington Ave / Portchester Ave / Tavistock Ave, which was notified on 20 August. The NEA has commenced vector control operations in the area since the dengue cluster was notified. As of Friday, five breeding habitats in the dengue cluster area – comprising one in a home and four in common areas/other premises – have been detected and destroyed. Indoor spraying of insecticides and outdoor misting have been carried out at the premises. Thermal fogging will be carried out in the outdoor areas to eradicate any adult mosquitoes. NEA officers and community leaders will conduct outreach in the vicinity to distribute Zika information leaflets and insect repellents to households to raise general awareness of Zika, and advise on the steps to prevent mosquito breeding. The last reported Zika case in Singapore was early last year, when a patient was infected with the virus.

Yesterday report from BBC news. The alarming threat of Zika virus By James Gallagher Health editor, BBC News website 21 January 2016 From the section Health The Zika virus, an alarming and disturbing infection that may be linked to thousands of babies being born with underdeveloped brains, is spreading through the Americas. Some areas have declared a state of emergency, doctors have described it as "a pandemic in progress" and some are even advising women in affected countries to delay getting pregnant. Where did Zika come from? Identified in Uganda in 1947, previous outbreaks were confined to a few small areas in Africa, South East Asia and the Pacific Islands. But, in May 2015, it was reported in Brazil. And it has since been reported in: Colombia El Salvador French Guiana Guatemala Haiti Honduras Martinique Mexico Panama Paraguay Puerto Rico Suriname Venezuela How dangerous is it? Deaths are rare and only one in five people infected is thought to develop symptoms. These include: mild fever conjunctivitis (red, sore eyes) headache joint pain a rash There is no vaccine or drug treatment, with patients advised to rest and drink plenty of fluids. But the biggest concern is the impact it could have on babies developing in the womb and the surge in microcephaly. It is when a baby is born with an abnormally small head, as their brain has not developed properly. The severity varies, but it can be deadly if the brain is so underdeveloped that it cannot regulate the functions vital to life. Children that do survive face intellectual disability and development delays. It can be caused by infections such as rubella, substance abuse during pregnancy or genetic abnormalities. Brazil had fewer than 150 cases of microcephaly in the whole of 2014, but there have been about 4,000 since October. The link with Zika has not been confirmed, but some babies who died had the virus in their brain and no other explanation for the surge in microcephaly has been suggested. Detail reports at : http://www.bbc.com/news/health-35370848?ocid=socialflow_facebook&ns_mchannel=social&ns_campaign=bbcnews&ns_source=facebook Time to kill the mozzies ....