Cii Radio| Sabera Sheik Essop| 02 September 2016| 29 zhul Qadha 1437
Malaysia on Thursday reported its first suspected case of Zika, a 58-year-old woman believed to have contracted it in neighboring Singapore where more than 100 cases have been confirmed. The Malaysian woman had made a brief trip in late August to visit her daughter, who has already been confirmed as having the Zika virus, Malaysia’s Health Ministry said in a statement.
After returning to her home near Kuala Lumpur, the woman fell ill and was diagnosed with “suspected” Zika, based on a urine test. Full confirmation via blood tests is pending. “The source of infection is suspected to have occurred in Singapore,” the statement said.
Authorities say 115 people have now tested positive for the virus, including a pregnant woman and 57 foreigners living and working in the city-state. Singapore depends heavily on foreign labor, and industries like construction and the marine sector are dominated by workers from China and South Asia. Among the foreigners infected, 23 are from China, 15 are from India and 10 from Bangladesh, the Health Ministry said Thursday. The rest are from Malaysia, Myanmar, Indonesia and Taiwan.
Singapore health officials on Thursday sought to reassure the international community that the disease is under control after the United States and Britain joined Australia and Taiwan in advising pregnant women to avoid non-essential travel. “I don’t think there’s a need for us to press the panic button,” said Derek Ho, director-general for public health at the National Environment Agency (NEA).
Source : Saudi Gazette
