Zika has arrived in Singapore

[heychamp]

Originally Posted by LostControl

Why don't they just kill all the mosquitoes in Singapore . Solve 2 problems at one go .

Do you know how to do that?

[leanmeat]

Originally Posted by heychamp

Do you know how to do that?

Can ask a Mr Know who has a good friend call Google?

[skyleon]

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.
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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.


continue reading here : http://www.straitstimes.com/singapor...workers-caught

[LostControl]

Originally Posted by heychamp

Do you know how to do that?

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.

Looks like somebody is reading my post . It is better to act fast now to catch all the mosquitoes before the it get worse .

[skyleon]

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.


continue reading here : http://www.straitstimes.com/singapor...-of-zika-urged

[skyleon]

Just how worried should Singapore be about the Zika outbreak?
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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?


continue reading here : http://www.straitstimes.com/singapor...-zika-outbreak

[skyleon]

Anti-mozzie ops to start in Kallang Way, Paya Lebar Way
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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.


continue reading here : http://www.straitstimes.com/singapor...paya-lebar-way

[skyleon]

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.
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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.


continue reading here : http://www.straitstimes.com/singapor...llents-patches

[skyleon]

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.


continue reading here : http://www.straitstimes.com/singapor...u-need-to-know

[skyleon]

If you see a mosquito just kill it .

[RossBarkley]

Originally Posted by skyleon

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.


continue reading here : http://www.straitstimes.com/singapor...u-need-to-know

Thanks for sharing

[skyleon]

Originally Posted by RossBarkley

Thanks for sharing

You are welcome .

[skyleon]

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.


continue reading here : http://www.straitstimes.com/singapor...hreat-it-poses

[skyleon]

Zika outbreak: Diners stay away from affected areas
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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.


continue reading here : http://www.straitstimes.com/singapor...affected-areas

[skyleon]

If you see a mosquito just kill it .