Health officials in Singapore have confirmed 41 cases of locally transmitted Zika virus infections, according to a report by The Guardian. Around 40 of the 41 cases are foreign workers at a construction site, while one is a Malaysian resident.
None of the infected individuals have recently traveled to countries affected by Zika. Rather, the individuals were "likely to have been infected in Singapore," noted a joint statement from Singapore's Ministry of Health and the National Environment Agency. The 41 individuals all live or work in the same residential and industrial district. However, there could be further Zika transmission to other areas.
Singapore's health minister Gan Kim Yong also told the media that since the country is a hub for tourists and international travelers, the likelihood of Zika cases imported from abroad is high.
On Aug. 26, health authorities confirmed Hong Kong's first case of the Zika virus infection. In total, more than 50 countries have reported Zika transmission since the virus' outbreak in 2015, the CDC notes.