SINGAPORE - Two students are being treated for chikungunya fever after being diagnosed with the virus here, following a study trip to Thailand which saw many of their party taken ill.
School of the Arts (Sota) principal Mary Seah told The Straits Times on Tuesday (June 4) that all 28 people who were on the Sota trip to Ratchaburi province - 25 students and three teachers - had returned to Singapore by Monday night.
Nine students and one teacher contracted the virus in Thailand, where they were diagnosed with and treated for the mosquito-borne condition.
They have since recovered, but two more from the group were diagnosed in Singapore on Monday.
One student received outpatient treatment at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, while the other was still hospitalised as of Tuesday, a Ministry of Health (MOH) spokesman said.
Sota notified parents of the students affected, with some flying to Bangkok to be with their children.
Chikungunya fever is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which also spreads the Zika and dengue viruses. Its symptoms are similar to those of Zika and dengue, with main symptoms being fever and joint pain.
Most cases recover fully, but joint pain may persist for weeks to years.
As of June 3, 11 chikungunya cases had been reported in Singapore this year. Ten were imported and one was a local case. Between 2016 and 2018, two to three local cases were reported each year.
There are no recent reports of active transmission of chikungunya, but Singaporeans should remain vigilant at all times about mosquito breeding in homes and workplaces, the MOH said.
