H5N1 Avian Influenza, also known Bird Flu, is a subtype of the Influenza A virus that affects both birds and humans. Its impact on Singapore was very great, with the people taking extra health precautions. The Ministry of Health encouraged several groups of people to get flu vaccinations. these included people above the age of 65, people with chronic heart or lung diseases, children between the ages of 6 months and 18 years, and women who were more than 3 months pregnant. The Singapore government also banned the rearing of live poultry on Pulau Ubin in June 2005 and the import of poultry from Kentucky after an outbreak was reported in one of the farms there.
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)
SARS affected Singapore in many ways. In terms of tourism, visitor arrival at the end of March fell by 57 400 or 30% from the same period last year. People took many health precautions but still, 238 people in Singapore were infected with SARS. Out of the 238, there were 33 deaths. Most people remained indoors unless absolutely necessary and schools closed down for about two weeks.
H1N1 Influenza
H1N1, also known as Swine Flu, is another subtype of the Influenza A virus that affects pigs and humans. There were 1217 lab- verified H1N1 infections and 19 deaths caused by the H1N1 flu virus. People took extra precautions concerning their health, most people increased their level of personal hygiene. The Singapore government banned imports of pork from infected countries and people who had just returned from such countries were to be quarantined for 7 days.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it can safely be said that epidemics affect Singapore greatly, instilling fear and paranoia in some residents and inspiring the people to do things they would not normally have done, such as closing down schools and staying indoors most of the time. As Singapore is a densely populated country, it is very easy for outbreaks of diseases to occur. Also, many tourists come to visit Singapore, increasing the risk of diseases from other countries spreading to Singapore.
