SINGAPORE — About 30 mosquito breeding spots, mostly in homes, have been found and destroyed in Watten Estate and its vicinity, with inspections of the 800 or so premises there past the mid-point. The inspections were sparked by the first case of Zika here last Friday — a 48-year-old Singapore permanent resident who lives in the area.

Giving an update on the situation yesterday, Senior Minister of State for the Environment and Water Resources Amy Khor said more than 500 premises in the area, out of 800, have been inspected by about 160 National Environment Agency (NEA) officers, contractors and volunteers. She urged residents to stay vigilant and cooperate with the NEA in vector operations to prevent the spread of Zika here.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the launch of a nutrition campaign for seniors, Dr Khor said the Zika patient, who was transferred to the Communicable Diseases Centre on Saturday, was recovering well. The authorities had said earlier that the man had limited contact with people outside his home in Watten Estate after returning from Brazil where he had stayed from March 27 to May 7 this year. He will be discharged only when there are no traces of the virus in his blood.

Dr Khor said: “This twin strategy — vector control and vigilance — is very crucial and we need everyone to cooperate and to work together in order to try and prevent this local transmission.”

For residents in the vicinity of Watten Estate who are uncontactable, or whose homes remain inaccessible by next week, the NEA will conduct forced entry to inspect the premises and spray insecticide indoors. Zika is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, similar to dengue. Zika causes a viral fever with skin rashes, body aches and headache. LAURA PHILOMIN