Authorities in Singapore say they have identified 26 new cases of locally transmitted Zika virus, bringing the total outbreak in the city-state to 82, in what appears to be the largest cluster of the disease in Asia.
The US, Australia and Taiwan have all advised pregnant women to avoid travel to Singapore, a potential threat to tourism revenue in a major transit hub for the region.
While the scale of the disease is far smaller than in the Americas, Singapore’s rising numbers illustrate the vulnerability of the regional financial centre. Singapore’s warm and humid climate, coupled with high population density, favours the spread of mosquito-borne diseases such as Zika and dengue.