Fogging begins at Simon Place after first Zika cluster of 2017 detected in the area
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Fabian Koh, Tiffany Fumiko Tay
SINGAPORE - Pest control and officers from the National Environment Agency (NEA) carried out fogging at Simon Place on Thursday (March 30) morning, a day after Singapore's first Zika cluster this year was detected in the area.
Teams began spraying sidewalks and drains in the area at about 9.30am.
Two locally transmitted cases had been confirmed in Simon Place, near Kovan in Hougang.
Both are from the same household, and The Straits Times understands that neither person is pregnant.
There have been six other isolated cases of the Zika virus this year.
Residents of Simon Place have been urged to remain vigilant in detecting mosquito breeding spots, as most people infected with Zika do not develop symptoms, so it may take some time before the virus is detected.
The NEA started vector control operations in Simon Place on Tuesday (March 28).
As of Wednesday (March 29), it has inspected about 120 out of some 400 premises for mosquito breeding, alongside ground checks in the vicinity.
NEA officers and grassroots volunteers have distributed information leaflets and insect repellents to households to raise awareness of Zika. They also stress the need to prevent mosquito breeding.
Singapore's first locally transmitted case was detected in August last year, while the last cluster was closed in December last year.
By the end of last year, over 450 people here had been diagnosed with the Zika virus.
