Chikungunya Fever Cases Detected In Teachers Housing Estate

07 Jun 2008

1. The Ministry of Health (MOH) has been notified of a case of chikungunya fever involving a 86-year-old retiree on 3 June 2008. Another case was detected involving the maid from the same household through blood screening on 5 June 2008. Investigations revealed that this was likely a case of local transmission of chikungunya fever as both of them do not have a recent travel history.

2. 23 cases of chikungunya fever were notified to MOH in 2008. 15 (including the two latest cases) of these are local cases, of which 13 were from the Little India cluster.

Situation in Singapore

3. Following the report on the above patients with chikungunya fever, MOH has begun to screen persons living or working in the Teachers Housing Estate area where the two cases reside. Epidemiological investigations are still in progress and screening efforts will continue over the next few days.  NEA’s Environmental Health Institute will continue to carry out laboratory tests to detect the presence of any chikungunya virus from samples collected from the area.

4. NEA officers are conducting intensive source reduction operations within the vicinity of the cases' residence. More than 100 premises have been inspected and a total of 10 mosquito breedings have been detected within the premises in the area. Ultra-low volume and aerosol spraying of insecticide have been carried out in 35 premises around the cases' residence so far, Intensive operations to suppress the mosquito population in the area will continue. Residents and premises owners in the Teachers Housing Estate are advised to check their premises daily to remove any stagnant water that may breed mosquitoes.

5. Persons who have been in the Teachers Housing Estate area recently and have developed a fever are advised to consult their doctors. Chikungunya fever, like dengue fever, is a mosquito-borne disease and the best way to prevent chikungunya fever is to take precautionary measures to prevent mosquito breeding. Persons infected with chikungunya fever should be isolated from further mosquitoes bites (by staying indoors and sleeping under a mosquito net during the first few days of illness) to reduce the risk of further transmission of the virus.

6. We would like to seek the cooperation of the public, in particular, residents or individuals who work in the affected area to provide relevant information to Health Officers from MOH who are currently carrying out epidemiological investigations.  The MOH Health Officers may further require a blood sample so as to test for the presence of chikungunya infection.

MINISTRY OF HEALTH

7 JUNE 2008