Channel NewsAsia - Thursday,
January 24
CDC director gets
legal powers to detain, isolate chikungunya
cases
SINGAPORE: It was a measure last invoked at the height of the SARS
outbreak in 2003. And now, the authorities are again stepping up
the fight against another foreign virus, by conferring legal powers
on a highranking public health administrator to stem the spread of
chikungunya fever.
TODAY has learnt that on Monday, the Government gazetted
Communicable Diseases Centre clinical director Leo Yee Sin as a
Health Officer, under the Infectious Diseases Act, from Jan 17 to
July 16.
The appointment gives her the authority to order the detention or
isolation of confirmed or suspected chikungunya cases.
She can also inspect and search any premises where a suspected
outbreak has taken place and seize samples of any substances for
laboratory tests, without the need for a warrant and "with such
force as may be necessary".
A Ministry of Health (MOH) spokesperson said Associate Professor
Leos appointment would facilitate efforts "to ensure timely
isolation or quarantine of these patients who pose a public health
threat", given that such persons may object to being admitted to
hospital.
Another suspected chikungunya case was announced yesterday the
first Singaporean so far bringing the total to 10 since the first
locally transmitted case was detected on Jan 14.
All had surfaced in the Clive Street area, where 1,380 people have
been screened. And the National Environment Agency (NEA) is
extending its eradication of mosquito sites beyond the area as a
"preventive measure".
Why such measures for the chikungunya virus, given that its
outbreak has been nonfatal and geographically limited here, and
the global medical community has no conclusive proof that it can
kill?
Not only is relatively little known about it, it also has no
specific drug or vaccine. The Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN)
is working with the NEA and MOH to develop a vaccine.
In the last three years, thousands worldwide have had the fever,
pointing to a reemergence of the disease on a possibly
unprecedented scale. Citing a 2005 outbreak on the Indian Ocean
island of Reunion that reportedly claimed 238 lives, SIgNs senior
scientist Dr Lisa Ng said the disease "can become fatal" and MOH
would "want to be as careful as possible".
Said Dr Ng: "As chikungunya is still very understudied, MOH would
want to be as prepared as possible. You cant wait for a disease to
be fatal before you take it seriously."
The MOH, however, said it has "no plans currently" to enact border
screening for chikungunya, like the SARS crisis. It said Assoc Prof
Leos new powers will "only be for the period necessary to prevent
and control the outbreak", and may be extended "when necessary".
The outbreak is considered over only when no new cases are found
within 24 days of the last one.
Assoc Prof Leo told TODAY the legal powers will aid her work on the
ground, such as in handling patients and probing the source of the
outbreak, "as we aim to remove viremic patients (those who have the
virus circulating in their blood) from the source".
Lowdown on Fever
Chikungunya fever which, like dengue, is transmitted through the
Aedes mosquito is distinguished by symptoms that include a sudden
onset of fever, chills, headache, nausea, vomiting and joint
pain.
The virus was first discovered after a 1952 outbreak in
Tanzania.
The worst outbreak to date was recorded two years ago on the Indian
Ocean island of Reunion, where within 16 months, a third of its
777,000strong population was struck down. The outbreak reportedly
claimed 238 lives. TODAY/ar
