Channel NewsAsia 13 Jun 08;
SINGAPORE: Another chikungunya fever case has been detected in Singapore.
The latest is a 37-year-old expatriate housewife who lives in Farrer Road.
The Ministry of Health says she developed symptoms on June 6 and sought outpatient treatment on June 8.
She is currently warded in hospital.
Investigations revealed this was likely a case of local transmission of chikungunya fever as she and her family did not have any recent travel history.
To date, there have been a total of 24 cases of chikungunya fever this year.
Sixteen of them, including the latest, are local cases - of which 13 were from the Little India cluster in the early part of this year and two from the recent Teachers Housing Estate cluster.
Arising from the latest case, MOH conducted blood screening among members of her household and close friends. So far, none tested positive for chikungunya virus.
MOH has assessed that there is no need for mass screening at this moment as there is no evidence of further transmission.
The National Environment Agency (NEA) is carrying out vector control and surveillance in all areas the case has visited recently, and MOH will continue to monitor the situation closely.
Chikungunya fever, like dengue fever, is a mosquito-borne disease and the best way to prevent it is to prevent mosquito breeding.
Those infected with chikungunya fever should be isolated from further mosquitoes bites by sleeping under a mosquito net and/or use mosquito repellent during the first few days of illness to reduce the risk of further transmission of the virus. - CNA/de
Viral fever hits new victim
Sujin Thomas, Straits Times 13 Jun 08;
AN EXPATRIATE housewife living in Farrer Road has become the latest victim of chikungunya fever here, the Ministry of Health said last night.
The 37-year-old developed symptoms of the mosquito-borne disease last Friday, sought out-patient treatment two days later and is currently warded in hospital.
Investigations show she probably contracted the virus in Singapore, as she and her family did not travel overseas recently.
A statement issued by MOH last night said blood screening had been conducted among the members of her household and her close friends.
All tested negative for the virus.
MOH also said there is no need for mass screening in the area, as there is no evidence of further transmission.
The latest incident brings the number of chikungunya fever cases reported this year - the first time the virus has surfaced in Singapore - to 24.
Of these, 16 people, including the latest victim, contracted the virus here.
The biggest cluster of victims, with 13 falling ill, was found in the Little India area. The other two who contracted the disease here lived in Teachers' Housing Estate. They were taken ill just last week.
The rest contracted the virus overseas.
The National Environment Agency (NEA) was notified of the latest case on Wednesday and conducted intensive mosquito search-and-destroy operations in the Farrer Road area.
They sprayed insecticide in all the affected premises in the area.
Of the 140 premises inspected by the NEA, only one breeding area was found: a flowerpot plate that was later destroyed.
Chikungunya case at Farrer Road
Today Online 13 Jun 08;
THE chikungunya virus has cropped up in a new location.
A case of the mosquito-borne disease has been reported at Farrer Road, coming about a week after two people in Teachers’ Estate off Upper Thomson Road were found to carry the virus, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said in an update yesterday. The Teachers’ Estate cases were the first time that locally-contracted cases of chikungunya had been reported outside the Little India area this year.
In the latest case, a 37-year-old expatriate housewife developed a fever and related symptoms on June 6 and sought treatment two days later. She was later warded and remains in hospital. Investigations showed that it was likely a case of local transmission, as she and her family had not travelled out of the country recently.
The MOH conducted blood screening among members of her household and close friends; none tested positive for the virus. It added that there was hence no need for mass screening for now, given no evidence of further transmission.
The National Environment Agency is carrying out inspection and fogging operations in the areas that the Farrer Road housewife has visited recently, while the MOH will continue to monitor the situation.
A total of 24 cases of chikungunya fever have been reported so far this year. Including the Farrer Road infection, 16 of these were local cases, of which 13 were from the Little India cluster early this year.
