Macao recorded its very first imported case of the mosquito-borne zika virus on Wednesday, the Health Bureau announced in a statement.
The infected individual was a 32-year-old female migrant worker who lived and worked in two centrally-located areas. Her place of residence was situated in Edifício Son Hoi on the Rua do Matapau, while her workplace was given as Edifício Leung Seng on Rua do Tarrafeiro.
Between 23 August and 2 September, the patient was in the Philippines, returning to Macao on 2 September. On 6 September, she began to experience joint pains, followed by rashes two days later. She tested positive for Zika virus at the Conde São Januário Hospital on 10 September.
The woman’s condition is said to be stable, with none of the individuals that she was residing with displaying any signs of being unwell.
Based on her travel history, the incubation period and the results of the laboratory test, the Health Bureau classified the 32-year old’s infection as an imported case. In response, the authorities have implemented mosquito control measures within a 100 metre radius of the areas where she frequented, including the A-Ma Cultural Village.
According to the World Health Organisation, zika virus is mainly spread through the bites of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, although transmission from mother to child during pregnancy, sexual activity and blood transfusion are also possible.
[See more: Here’s what to know about chikungunya fever, the disease that’s sweeping Guangdong]
Most infected persons remain asymptomatic, although the few who do develop symptoms often suffer from fever, headaches, muscle and joint pains and rash, which can persist for around 2 to 7 days.
Pregnant women who become infected with zika are of particular concern, as the virus can lead to major complications, including loss of the baby before birth, premature birth, still birth, problems with the baby’s brain, hearing and eyesight, and the baby having an unusually small head (microcephaly)
Macao meanwhile recently registered its third local case of chikungunya fever, a disease that is also spread via mosquitoes. In a statement on Wednesday, the Health Bureau announced that after the recording of the third case on 7 September, it had designated Pat Tat Sun Cheun (Edifício Sio Fat) and the area near Rua da Vitória as risk areas.
The bureau noted that it had set up blood test stations and conducted door-to-door inspections and promotional work across the two locations in recent days. During the monitoring operations on Rua da Vitória on 10 and 11 September, the authorities had blood tested two residents who displayed chikugunya-like symptoms, although their results turned out negative.
The danger of mosquito-borne viruses spreading in Macao remains high, as the Health Bureau mentioned in July that Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are highly active between April and October.
To prevent the transmission of such diseases, the government suggests draining stagnant water, making use of mosquito screens and air-conditioning, as well as wearing long-sleeved shirts and applying mosquito repellant.
