Singapore confirmed 41 cases of Zika virus infection

41 cases of infection with small head virus in Singapore are mainly foreign construction workers and the number of infections may increase.

Of the 41 cases of Zika, 34 people have fully recovered, Reuters reported from the Ministry of Health and the Singapore National Environment Agency (NEA) on August 28.

Singapore on August 27 confirmed a 47-year-old Malaysian woman living in the south-eastern region of the country as the first case of Zika infection due to domestic transmission.

Zika virus is thought to cause minor head defects. (Photo: Getty).

Authorities then examined 124 people, mostly foreign construction workers working in Singapore, including dormitories, while their workplaces were ordered to stop working. 78 people tested were negative, 5 were waiting for test results.

None of the people infected with Zika virus go to areas affected by this virus."This confirms that the transmission of Zika virus in the country has taken place," the NEA statement said.

The Singapore Ministry of Health did not rule out the possibility of transmission of the virus when virus-positive workers lived and worked in other areas of Singapore.

Small head syndrome (brain atrophy) causes babies to be born with abnormalities, developing or deviating brain development that leads to intellectual, motor and language disabilities.

Small heads are not a common disease, so before the Zika virus outbreak, very few people know of this syndrome. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), small head syndrome, also known as cerebral atrophy syndrome, is a rare birth defect when babies are born with a smaller head circumference than normal. This symptom may occur when the fetal brain has not developed properly during pregnancy or stopped developing after birth. Small heads may occur separately or simultaneously with other birth defects.