13 more chikungunya cases in Singapore

Straits Times 26 Sep 08;

ANOTHER 13 cases of chikungunya have surfaced over the past week.

Six were imported cases, most likely from Johor. Another six were linked to existing clusters.

The last, a 55-year-old businessman living at St Martin's Drive, has not travelled recently.

National Environment Agency (NEA) officers have combed the area but have not found any mosquito-breeding sites.

The NEA hopes to prevent the disease from becoming endemic here, in the way dengue has.

But with over 120 locally transmitted cases out of 231 known cases this year, this may not be possible, especially since the disease is already endemic in neighbouring countries.

The vast majority of imported cases comes from nearby Johor.

As for local transmissions, cases have been found in 25 areas here.

Like dengue, chikungunya is spread by the Aedes mosquito. Symptoms too are similar and include fever, headache, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, muscle ache, rash and joint pain.

A joint statement from the Health Ministry and the NEA appealed to the public to help eradicate mosquito breeding to keep the disease in check.

SALMA KHALIK

Another 13 cases, with 6 imported
Alicia Wong, Today Online 26 Sep 08;

IT WAS yet another update in a series, with the Health Ministry having released fresh statistics at least once a week since August, and this frequency is almost startling, considering the sporadic news on chikungunya earlier this year.

In yesterday’s statement, the MOH said another 13 people had come down with chikungunya fever since Sept 17. This time, six of the cases were imported — three Singapore residents and three Malaysians had travelled to affected areas in Johor.

The first case of local chikungunya transmission was reported in January. Nearly five months had followed before the next major development broke: The discovery of a cluster at Teacher’s Estate in June.

The next round of cases surfaced in August, and since then, new cases or clusters have been reported just about every week.

Asked if the disease has taken root in Singapore, the MOH said “it is still too early to conclude that chikungunya fever is already endemic here”.

“Imported cases may still be the major factor leading to local transmission,” a spokesperson said.

The Johor outbreak, which began only a few months ago, has had “a major impact in Singapore” with most imported cases being people who had been in Johor shortly before falling ill.

The spokesperson added that the risk is “high given the huge volume of people moving between Johor and Singapore every day”.

Early this month, Malaysia had 1,703 notified cases of chikungunya fever, according to Bernama. Johor registered 996 cases.

As of Wednesday, Singapore had recorded 231 notified chikungunya cases, of which 108 were imported. Eighty-seven cases involved people who had travelled to Johor, while 12 had been to other Malaysian states. Others travelled to Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Maldives.

Locally transmitted cases numbered 123 across 25 work or residential locations. Six of the seven new local transmissions last week were linked to existing clusters at Lim Chu Kang, Sungei Kadut, Bah Soon Pah Road and Mandai Estate.

One isolated case was the infection of a 55-year-oldbusinessman who stays atSt Martin’s Drive and has no recent history of overseas travel. He developed symptoms on Sept 16 and recovered after outpatient treatment.

The National Environment Agency is carrying out vector control operations at the infected people’s residences, as well as their work places and areas they frequent. No mosquito breeding has been found so far at the St Martin’s Drive area.