2 Zika cases in Woodlands, NEA detects persistent virus signals in the area
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The NEA has commenced wastewater and mosquito surveillance in the area.
ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO
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SINGAPORE – Two Zika cases have been confirmed in Woodlands Street 11 and Street 32, said the National Environment Agency (NEA) in conjunction with the Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA) in a Facebook post on June 19.
The two patients are female and were not pregnant at the time of infection, NEA and CDA said in a joint media reply, adding that both of them are in stable condition.
As one patient resides within an active dengue cluster while the other lives in an area with a recently closed cluster, the authorities have stepped up vector control efforts.
These include conducting inspections to remove mosquito-breeding habitats, oiling drains and spraying insecticide in premises and around the locations.
A total of 116 mosquito-breeding habitats have been detected and destroyed so far.
Following each case notification, NEA commenced wastewater and mosquito surveillance in the surrounding residential area.
The agency said enhanced surveillance has revealed persistent Zika virus
The surveillance is a regular effort by the agency to minimise the spread of vector-borne diseases in Singapore
It most often comes in the form of gravitraps that are placed in Housing Board estates to catch the urban-dwelling and day-biting Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which spread both Zika and dengue.
These efforts also include wastewater surveillance to detect traces of pathogens in wastewater, which was first used in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Currently, the Republic’s wastewater surveillance network comprises around 500 auto samplers, which collect and test wastewater from manholes.
Dr Ng Lee Ching, group director of the NEA’s Environmental Health Institute, said: “In our diagnostic lab, we found urine to be a very good sample for Zika. It’s a very mild disease – some people may not even get a fever, and its most common symptom, which is rash, is easy to overlook.
“Wastewater surveillance is very appropriate for a situation like that, where the disease tends to go under the radar because it’s mild, but its consequences can be severe for pregnant women.”
A check of the NEA website found that three Zika cases have been reported since the week of May 25, with the latest being confirmed on June 11.
In total, there have been seven cases reported for 2025 as at June 12.
There were 13 reported Zika cases in 2024.
Those who show symptoms suggestive of a Zika infection should see a doctor early, advised the NEA.
According to the CDA website, symptoms of Zika include rash, fever, conjunctivitis, muscle pain, joint pain and headache.
In its joint media reply with NEA, the CDA said it has alerted doctors to be vigilant for Zika infection among people with clinically compatible symptoms, especially those living or working in the affected areas.
There is no specific treatment for Zika, but pregnant patients should seek advice from their obstetricians for further management, the CDA said.
Zika may result in congenital defects in infants born to infected mothers. The babies could be born with neurological complications or microcephaly, where they have a head that is smaller than expected.
To find out more about Zika cases, go to go.gov.sg/zikaclusters go.gov.sg/zika
