Satish Cheney, Channel NewsAsia 20 Jun 09;
SINGAPORE: One more case of vivax malaria has been confirmed and added to the malaria cluster at Jurong Island.
The patient is a 46-year-old foreign construction worker who works and stays on Jurong Island.
There are now seven cases in the cluster on the island - all male foreigners aged 25 to 46 years.
The National Environment Agency is continuing with intensive checks for Anopheles mosquito breeding in the vicinity of Jurong Island.
Meanwhile, the malaria cluster at Sungei Kadut/Mandai Estate appears to have stabilised.
There are no new cases there and the total number in this cluster remains at 13.
Malaria, like dengue fever, is a mosquito-borne disease and the best way to prevent malaria is to take precautionary measures against mosquitoes and prevent their breeding.
- CNA/ir
One more case of malaria in Jurong Island cluster
Huang Huifen, Straits Times 21 Jun 09;
Another case of malaria in the Jurong Island cluster has been confirmed, raising the total number of suspected local malaria transmissions to 20.
The latest victim is a 46-year-old foreign construction worker who works and stays in Jurong Island.
His illness surfaced on June 10 and he had no significant travel history.
Two days later, he saw a doctor, who then notified the Ministry of Health.
So far, seven people - male foreigners aged 25 to 46 - in the Jurong Island cluster have been infected. They came down with malaria from May 3 to June 10.
Meanwhile, the number of infections at the Sungei Kadut/ Mandai Estate cluster remains at 13.
The victims are all men aged 21 to 51. Two of them are Singaporeans. Their illness became known between May 16 and June 10.
In both clusters, the malaria parasite is vivax, the most common in this region of the five types of malaria parasites.
It is believed that there is no link between the two clusters.
The National Environment Agency (NEA) is continuing its checks for anopheles mosquito breeding in Jurong Island and using adult light trapping to monitor the mosquito population in the affected areas.
So far, 130 mosquitoes, including the anopheles breed, have been trapped, NEA environmental health department's head of operations Tai Ji Choong said at the sidelines of a Singapore's OK event yesterday.
He added that malaria will not thrive in residential estates because unlike forested and coastal areas, they are not conducive for the breeding of anopheles mosquitoes.
