Largest Zika cluster in Singapore closed

The first local Zika cluster located at Aljunied Crescent/Sims Drive area was closed on Oct 9 after no new cases were reported there for two weeks, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said on Tuesday (Oct 18).

Aljunied Crescent/Sims Drive was Singapore's biggest Zika cluster with a total of 298 infections since the first case came to light on Aug 27.

NEA said it is keeping the area under close surveillance, and will continue to do so until Oct 31, three weeks after the cluster closure date.

TWO ACTIVE CLUSTERS REMAIN

Two active Zika clusters remain at Ubi Avenue 1 and Jalan Chengkak/Jalan Raya. These were recently declared cluster on Oct 13 and Oct 17 respectively. Additionally, sporadic cases continue to be reported in Singapore, indicating the presence of the Zika virus within the community, NEA stated.

"NEA urges all residents and stakeholders to maintain vigilance and continue to eliminate mosquito breeding habitats, as there could still be asymptomatic or mild, undiagnosed cases which might fuel further transmission of the virus if there are mosquitoes in the vicinity," it said in a media release. 

Professor Duane Gubler, founding director of the Emerging Infectious Diseases Programme at Duke-NUS Medical School said: “The collective effort by NEA and the community has managed to rapidly contain what could have been a major epidemic. The Singapore holistic approach to controlling Aedes-transmitted diseases, involving intensified active surveillance, intensified adult and larval mosquito control, community outreach and clinical management, can serve as a model for other countries affected by these diseases.”

The World Health Organisation had praised Singapore's response to the Zika outbreak, saying it was a "role model" in terms of transparency and quick reporting of infections.