21 Chinese stricken with Zika in Singapore

Confirming that 21 Chinese nationals were stricken with the Zika virus in Singapore, China on Thursday issued an alert against travelling to the island nation.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying announced here that they were informed about the situation by the Singapore Health Ministry, EFE news reported.

"The Singapore Health Ministry informed us that 21 Chinese citizens have been infected by the Zika virus, and so the Foreign Ministry has issued a travel alert and urges people to take precautions against this infectious disease," Hua said.

The authorities in Singapore on Thursday confirmed the first case of Zika in a pregnant woman, while the number of infections since the weekend has risen to 115, according to local media reports.

Several countries, including the US, Australia, South Korea and China, have issued travel alerts against travel to Singapore since the outbreak was first detected on Saturday.

Zika is transmitted by the mosquito Aedes aegypti and causes symptoms similar to dengue. It can also spread from a pregnant woman to her fetus resulting in microcephaly, severe brain malformations, and other birth defects.

--IANS

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