South Korea Confirms 11th Zika Infection; Issues Travel Warnings on Singapore
South Korea has recently confirmed the 11th case of Zika virus last Aug. 27.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) released a report stating that a 64 year old man from a Vietnam trip last Aug. 20 acquired the mosquito borne virus. The patient is reported to be in a stable state and presently undergoing examinations.
There were four recorded patients who flew from Vietnam, three from the Philippines and countries including Dominican Republic, Brazil, Thailand and Guatemala each had one returning infected patient to South Korea, Yonhap News reported.
In connection to these, South Korea and United States issued a travel warning on Singapore due to the increasing incidence of Zika in the country. Australia, Taiwan and the United Kingdom already urged their citizens to prevent mosquito bites or cancel trips to Singapore to avoid the infection. Pregnant women or those with maternity plans are discouraged to travel to high-risk nations.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) already included Singapore to its temporary travel guidance register. The institution also reminded pregnant women through its official website to "strictly follow steps to prevent mosquito bites" during trip.
Pregnant women and those with sexual exposure are encouraged to test for the infection. Further, South Korean women are advised to avoid getting pregnant two months after returning from nations on CDC list.
Last Aug. 27, Singapore disclosed its first local transmission case of the virus. The Lion City already recorded 82 cases as of Aug. 30, Channel News Asia reported. Indonesia and Malaysia already set up protective measures including checkpoints and thermal scanners to prevent the spread of infection from individuals coming from the neighboring nation.
Zika virus is a public health concern declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) and was first disclosed in Africa. This infection is transmitted by an Aedes mosquito causing birth defects and brain damage.