That may be easier said than done, when 4 in 5 people with the Zika virus do not display symptoms. The health authorities here have acknowledged that “we cannot rule out the possibility that there are undetected cases”.
Dr Lim said such unwitting carriers of Zika “may not know to seek medical care or to get tested. That will pose problems for control, and so what we need is a lot of public awareness as well as medical awareness”.
Both Dr Lim and Dr Ooi were interviewed for an episode of Talking Point, “Zika: Protecting your family”, that airs this Thursday (4 Feb) on Channel 5.
Singaporeans have been advised to protect themselves from mosquito bites if they travel to Zika-affected countries; and to see a doctor if they develop symptoms upon their return. Pregnant women are also asked to reconsider their travel plans to the affected countries.
But both Dr Ooi and Dr Lim say, a key line of defence is to curb mosquito breeding.
Said Dr Ooi: “At this point in time, because there are no drugs or vaccine against Zika, mosquito control is the only way we can prevent it from spreading.”
Dr Lim said: “We really need the community’s help with the vector control efforts. The Government can do a lot, but they can’t do everything.”