Thus far, 115 Zika infections have been confirmed in Singapore, including one involving a Malaysian.
DAP Stampin MP Julian Tan said Health Minister Dr S Subramaniam had yet to publicly reveal the steps taken to counter the spread of the disease.
Tan pointed out that this year alone, from January till March 2, a total of 26,533 dengue cases were reported nationwide, an increase of over 1,500 compared with 25,028 over the same period last year.
According to Sarawak State Health Director Dr Zulkifli Jantan, there was also an increase in dengue cases in the state with 1,105 cases reported from January to May 2016.
“The fact is that the Zika virus is spread by the same vector as dengue. Wouldn’t this cause greater concern for greater intervention by the health ministry?
“We have multiple daily direct flights into the state from Singapore and it is only a matter of time before it reaches here.
“If we have dealt so poorly with the threat of dengue, how prepared are we really to deal with Zika, which can cause serious complications in early pregnancy?
“What is the Sarawak Government going to do about it? How ready is the state’s Health Ministry to handle such an epidemic?” Tan asked.
PKR Women National Vice-Chief Voon Shiak Ni said the government has to ensure that athletes returning from Brazil after the 2016 Olympic Games were properly monitored.
She said there was much concern over the potential risks in the spread of the virus across the globe as Brazil was reported to have an estimated 1.5 million cases as of January 2016.
“We are not sure if screening was done for all the Olympians and the supporters but hopefully it has been done.
“We further advise all our Malaysians who went to Brazil for the Olympics to get themselves checked as a social duty to protect our families and society,” said Voon.
Voon asked whether health departments and councils had met to discuss how to control the spread of the disease and to get rid of mosquito breeding grounds.
“To cope with the urgency of the circumstances now, are there any big-scale operations in the next few weeks for inspections at residential and commercial premises to remove breeding habitats to prevent the transmission of diseases?” Voon asked.
She added that the local municipal issues of clogged drains and rubbish dumps around housing estates, markets and public places could no longer be placed on the back burner.
The Zika virus, much like dengue, is spread mainly by infected Aedes mosquitoes.