Like dengue fever, to prevent the spread of the virus, we must first prevent the breeding of its vector, the　Aedes　mosquito. The　Aedes　mosquito is easily identifiable by the distinctive black and white stripes on its body. It prefers to breed in clean, stagnant water easily found in our homes. To prevent breeding of the　Aedes　mosquito, we need to frequently check and remove stagnant water in our homes.

Travellers to countries with local transmission of the Zika virus should protect themselves from mosquito bites by wearing long, covered clothing, applying insect-repellent, and sleeping under mosquito nets or in rooms with wire-mesh screens to keep out mosquitoes. They should seek medical attention promptly if they become unwell.

While there is currently no evidence that pregnant women are more likely to get Zika virus infection, the consequences can be more serious if a pregnant woman is infected, as the Zika virus infection can cause microcephaly in the unborn foetus of pregnant women. As such, pregnant women should postpone non-essential travel to countries with ongoing outbreaks. They should reconsider their travel plans to areas that are not experiencing outbreaks but have reported local transmission of Zika virus. If they must travel to affected areas, they should undertake strict precautions against mosquito bites.

All travellers returning from areas with ongoing outbreaks of Zika should adopt safer sexual practices, e.g. consistent and correct use of condoms during sex, or consider abstinence　for at least eight weeks after their return. Male travellers who are sexual partners of pregnant women should adopt these precautions throughout the women’s pregnancy. 　People diagnosed with Zika should adopt safer sex practices or consider abstinence for at least 6 months. 　Travellers who have returned to Singapore from affected areas should monitor their health for the next 14 days and consult a doctor if they have symptoms of Zika, such as fever, skin rashes, joint and muscle pains, headaches and red eyes. They should inform the doctor of the areas that they have travelled to.