No Pinoys with Zika virus in Singapore so far –embassy official

No Filipino in Singapore has been reported to be infected by the Zika virus, which has already affected over 200 people in the island city-state, a Philippine embassy official said Monday.
"Sa ngayon, according to the Singaporean government, because we are coordinating with the Ministry of Health as well as the other agencies of the Singaporean government, wala pa namang mga Filipinos na reported to have contracted the Zika virus," said Consul General Victorio Dimagiba Jr. in an interview on "Balitanghali."
Despite this, Dimagiba said they continue to urge the estimated 160,000 Filipinos there to take precautionary measures to avoid getting infected by the Zika virus.
"We continue to advise them to keep safe and to take all the precautionary measures to minimize the risk of being infected with the Zika virus or other mosquito-related diseases like dengue dito sa Singapore," he said.
Dimagiba said the embassy has already issued an advisory informing Filipinos how to avoid getting infected by the Zika virus, a mosquito-borne virus that generally causes mild symptoms but can lead to serious birth defects in pregnant women.
The official added that their information campaign covers their website, social media accounts, e-mail, and electronic message boards.
According to Singapore's National Environmental Agency, there are already 242 reported Zika cases in the city state as of September 4.
"Kahapon naka-identify na sila ng 27 new cases within the same area kung saan na-identify yung mga first cases ng Zika dito sa Singapore," Dimagiba said.
Singaporean authorities have stepped up spraying insecticide and clearing stagnant water to prevent mosquito breeding, but many people said they were also avoiding the city's popular outdoor food centres and dousing themselves in repellent to avoid getting bitten. —KBK, GMA News

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