Singapore health authorities said on Thursday that 8 new cases of locally transmitted Zika virus have been confirmed, bringing the total number of cases to 283. A new potential cluster has been discovered in the Elite Terrace area at Siglap that involves a previously reported case and a new case.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) and National Environment Agency (NEA) said in a joint statement that two out of those eight cases are linked to the Aljunied Crescent / Sims Drive / Kallang Way / Paya Lebar Way cluster.
One of those new cases is related to the Bishan Street 12 cluster while the other four cases have no known links to any existing cluster.
NEA said it will carry out vector control operations and outreach efforts at the new potential cluster at Elite Terrace along with the efforts in the existing places like Aljunied Crescent, Sims Drive, Paya Lebar Way, Kallang Way, Bishan Street 12 and other places.
The agency added that as of September 6, nearly 150 breeding habitats have been detected and destroyed.
According to NEA, the precaution methods are quite similar to its approach to dengue cases and urged the public to be very careful.
The members of the public can get details on current clusters or breeding habitats at NEA's website from September 7 onwards.
Zika is a mosquito-borne virus that can be passed from a pregnant woman to her unborn baby. The virus can cause birth defects and can also result in microcephaly in which the baby's head is smaller than expected.
While in cases of adults, Zika infections have been linked to a rare neurological syndrome known as Guillain-Barre, and other neurological disorders as well.
