Illustrative image (Source: Reuters) Hanoi (VNA) - Malaysia's Health Minister S Subramaniam on September 7 confirmed its first case of a pregnant woman infected with the Zika virus.
In a statement, Subramaniam said the 27-year-old woman is around three months pregnant with her first child.
It’s not yet clear where she got the disease, the Minister said, adding that the woman visited Singapore six months ago while her husband regularly travels to the island country.
On September 1, Malaysia recorded its first case of Zika virus infection when a 58-year-old woman tested positive for the disease after returning from Singapore.
On September 3, the country confirmed the first locally transmitted Zika virus infection case.
Recently, Malaysia has promptly taken response measures to control dengue epidemic and Zika virus which are both spread by Aedes mosquito. The country also tightens monitoring of foreign tourists, particularly those from Singapore.
Meanwhile, the Thai Government has assured that there is no spread of Zika virus in the country.
The assurance was given by Thai Foreign Ministry’s spokesman Sek Wanna-methee on September 6 after the website of the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) ranked Thailand as a “red alert” country with widespread Zika virus transmission to the point of having the region’s highest number of patients within the last three months.
The spokesman said Thai public health officials have detected Zika virus cases only in some areas and the virus did not spread extensively as feared.
Besides there was neither any patients dying of the virus nor any newly-born infant having unusual small head size, he said.
The Ministry of Public Health has taken intensive measures with cooperation from all sectors to monitor and control the disease, he said.
He said all Thai embassies and consulates have now been instructed to clarify the true situation in the country to international communities.
Zika virus is transmitted primarily by Aedes mosquitoes. People with Zika virus often display symptoms including mild fever, skin rash, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain, malaise or headache. These symptoms normally last from two to seven days.
There is a scientific consensus that the Zika virus is a cause of microcephaly in newborn babies and Guillain-Barré syndrome. Links to other neurological complications are also being investigated, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
At present, 70 countries and territories around the world have reported Zika cases, including those in Southeast Asian region.-VNA
