Tracking of Zika Cases and After-effects
Ministry of HealthSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns an inquiry by Mr Ang Wei Neng regarding the status of Zika virus infections and its specific impact on pregnant women and their infants. Minister for Health Gan Kim Yong reported 458 total cases by year-end 2016, noting a significant decline in new reports during November and December. Out of 17 infected pregnant women, four have delivered healthy infants while ten ongoing cases and their future babies remain under medical observation. The Ministry of Health has implemented a tracking programme to monitor the development of these infants until they reach the age of three. Minister for Health Gan Kim Yong emphasized that while no abnormalities have been detected, continued public vigilance is required to prevent mosquito breeding.
Transcript
58 Mr Ang Wei Neng asked the Minister for Health (a) whether he can provide an update on the spread of the Zika virus in Singapore; (b) how many new Zika cases have been reported in November and December 2016; (c) how many of these cases are of pregnant women; and (d) what is the total number of pregnant women infected by the Zika virus in Singapore and, of these, how many have given birth and whether any of these babies have birth defects.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: As at 31 December 2016, 458 Zika cases have been reported to the Ministry of Health (MOH). The incidence of new reported cases has been on the decline. Twelve cases were reported in November and four cases were reported in December. In comparison, 283 cases and 43 cases were reported in September and October respectively.
As of 31 December 2016, a total of 17 pregnant women have been diagnosed with Zika and reported to MOH. Four of the women have since given birth, and their babies show no signs of abnormalities thus far. One had a miscarriage for reasons not linked to Zika while two pregnancies were terminated for personal reasons. As the two foetuses were at early gestation, it is not possible to determine whether there will be Zika-related abnormalities. The remaining 10 cases are in their second and third trimesters and their babies will be monitored over three years as part of the monitoring programme. There is currently no obvious evidence to show that there are any Zika-related abnormalities.
MOH has put in place a programme to monitor infants whose mothers were exposed to the Zika virus during their pregnancies. We will track their development until they are three years old.
Given the presence of the Aedes mosquito here in Singapore, we are likely to continue to have Zika cases in Singapore. Some of these cases may be undiagnosed as the infection may result in mild or even no symptoms. I urge fellow Singaporeans to remain vigilant and to do our part to prevent mosquito breeding so as to protect ourselves and our loved ones.