PHNOM PENH, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian citizens should be vigilant over Zika virus, although the country has not seen any case of the virus so far, the Ministry of Health said in a statement on Friday.
"The Ministry of Health would like to appeal to people, particularly pregnant women, travelling to African countries, South America, and Central America, as well as other Zika-hit countries to be cautious and to prevent themselves from being bitten by Aedes mosquitoes," the statement said.
"At the present, there is no any reported case of Zika virus in Cambodia," it said.
Symptoms of Zika, which is transmitted through Aedes species mosquitoes, usually include fever, headache, rash, red eyes, and joint pain, the statement said, adding that most of the patients recover within two to seven days, as fatal rate is very low.
However, if the virus is transmitted to pregnant women, it can lead to the death of babies in the wombs, or babies' heads are abnormally small, it said.
Currently, there is no vaccine to prevent or medicine to treat the disease.
"To prevent from Zika infection, people should protect themselves from being bitten by Aedes mosquitoes," Health Minister Mam Bunheng said in the statement, urging people to visit doctors when they have symptoms as mentioned above.
The statement was issued following development of Zika virus infection in Singapore, where the total number of Zika infections is over 150.
