Speaking at the Ninth General Assembly of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP) at the Putra World Trade Center here this morning, the prime minister pointed out that the world was being plagued by Zika, with Singapore being hit badly.

“Close collaboration with our neighbours is absolutely vital to meet the threat of communicable diseases,” he said.

Najib’s call for close collaboration with neighbours over Zika comes a day after Putrajaya confirmed Malaysia’s first Zika patient.

The patient, a 58-year-old woman from Bandar Botanic, Klang, Selangor, is also the mother of a female confirmed with Zika infection in Singapore.

The patient, together with her husband, reportedly visited their daughter in Singapore on Aug 19, 2016 and returned on Aug 21.

Meanwhile, in a report by The Star, the woman is said to be recuperating well at the Sungai Buloh Hospital.

According to the hospital’s infectious disease head, Dr Christopher Lee, the patient’s symptoms included rashes but these had cleared up.

“We will be doing a blood test on her today. If it turns out to be negative, we can let her go home in a few days’ time,” the daily quoted him as saying.