Measures to prevent spread of Zika

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Dr Lim Wee Kiak

MP for Sembawang GRC

Question No. 402

To ask the Minister for Health in light of the first case of Zika virus infection in Singapore (a) whether the Ministry will issue travel alerts for Singaporeans who are visiting countries which are considered as high risk; and (b) whether there will be a multi-Ministry effort to look into the control and management of infectious disease outbreaks given Singapore's high tourism traffic.

Oral Reply

1        The first imported case of Zika virus infection in Singapore happened in May.  The patient had travelled to Sao Paulo, Brazil from late March to early May 2016.

2        Before this, MOH had started issuing advisories to travellers to and from Zika-affected countries on how they could protect themselves against mosquito bites, which is the main mode of transmission.  We advised travellers who have returned to Singapore from affected areas to monitor their health and consult a doctor if they have symptoms of Zika, such as fever, skin rashes, joint and muscle pains, headaches and red eyes.  MOH also informed hospitals and doctors about the notification, testing and clinical management for suspected Zika cases.  

3        In addition, MOH advised pregnant women to postpone non-essential travel to countries with ongoing Zika outbreaks.  If they have to travel to these areas, they should take strict precautions to protect themselves against mosquito bites.

4        As part of our on-going efforts to prevent and manage infectious disease outbreaks, MOH works closely with other government agencies such as MHA, ICA, and CAAS as part of the Homefront Crisis Management System.  This approach has been effective in dealing with previous global outbreaks, such as the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa and the 2015 MERS outbreak in the Middle East and Republic of Korea.