On Saturday, Singapore’s Ministry of Health said analysis of two cases found they had likely evolved from a strain of Zika that was already circulating in Southeast Asia. But Singapore is not the only country in Asia to report cases of Zika. Thailand has also seen widespread transmission in the three months, according to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control. The fact that in Asia some cities have between five to ten million people could be a cause. The government instructs citizens on how to get rid of any pools of stagnant water in and around their homes.
Experts say containing Zika requires different measures in different countries because they have different conditions. They think Zika must be considered a global epidemic threat. Researchers estimated 2.6 billion people were at risk of Zika in Asia and Africa. India, China, the Philippines, Indonesia, Nigeria, Vietnam, Bangladesh are at highest risk. Ideally, a vaccine is needed to help.
