13 Indians test positive for Zika virus in Singapore

At least 13 Indians have tested positive for the Zika virus in Singapore, where the number of cases related to the mosquito-borne virus has already risen to 115.

"According to our mission in Singapore 13 Indian nationals have tested positive for Zika in Singapore," Vikas Swarup, spokesman for the Ministry of External Affairs, said in response to a Reuters inquiry.

The city-state on Thursday confirmed its first case of a pregnant woman testing positive for the Zika virus infection.

The Ministry of Health and National Environment Agency said the pregnant woman was living in the virus-hit housing and industrial area of Sims Drive/Aljunied Crescent in the southeast of the island.

The woman, who displayed mild symptoms of the virus, was taken to KK Women's and Children's Hospital yesterday. A member of her household was also diagnosed as positive for Zika.

Her doctor is following up closely with her to monitor her health as well as the development of the baby, authorities said.

Meanwhile, a new potential cluster was identified in the housing estate of Bedok North Avenue 3, the MOH and NEA said in a statement.

NEA said it would begin mosquito control operations at the cluster involving three previously reported cases.

"Our efforts will extend to other parts of Singapore," the NEA said, adding it will stepping up its vector control efforts to wider areas.

"Over time, we expect Zika cases to emerge from more areas," Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said in a statement. "We must work and plan on the basis that there is Zika transmission in other parts of Singapore and extend our vector control efforts beyond the current affected areas."

The United States has warned its pregnant women not to travel to Singapore, while Australia, Taiwan and South Korea have issued travel alerts to their nationals on Singapore.

Singapore's first locally-transmitted Zika case was that of a 47-year-old Malaysian woman which came to light late last month.

As she had not travelled to Zika-affected areas recently, she was likely to have been infected in Singapore, MOH and NEA had said in a joint news release.

Photograph: Reuters