SINGAPORE will require doctors and clinical laboratories to report all suspected and confirmed cases of three potentially fatal viral diseases from Oct 31, strengthening early detection and public health preparedness despite the current risk to the country remaining low.
The three diseases — Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF), Lassa fever and Marburg virus disease (MVD) — can cause severe illness and have the potential for human-to-human transmission, the Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA) said.
The diseases will be added to the list under Singapore’s Infectious Diseases Act following legislative amendments introduced by the Ministry of Health in September.
The reporting requirement will enable authorities to detect cases earlier and respond promptly, including through isolation and contact tracing where necessary, a CDA spokeswoman told The Straits Times.
“While there has been no change to the risk level from these three diseases, which currently remains low, they have been added to the IDA to strengthen our overall surveillance and preparedness efforts,” she said.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says fatality rates for the diseases can reach 40 per cent for CCHF and around 50 per cent for MVD, while Lassa fever has an overall fatality rate of about one per cent that can rise significantly among patients with severe illness.
There are currently no approved vaccines or specific treatments for the three diseases, although vaccine development is under way for Lassa fever and MVD, according to the WHO.
CCHF is primarily transmitted through bites from infected ticks, contact with infected livestock or exposure to the blood and bodily fluids of infected people. Symptoms can include fever, muscle pain, dizziness and sensitivity to light, while severe cases may develop organ failure.
Lassa fever is mainly transmitted through food or household items contaminated by infected rodents’ urine or faeces. Human-to-human transmission is also possible. Most infections cause no or mild symptoms, but severe cases can involve bleeding, breathing complications and low blood pressure. The disease also poses serious risks during pregnancy.
MVD can spread from Egyptian fruit bats to humans and between people through direct contact with infected bodily fluids. Symptoms include sudden fever, severe headache and muscle pain, with some patients developing bleeding and neurological symptoms.
The CDA said it continuously monitors infectious disease developments locally and globally, periodically reviewing the list of notifiable diseases to maintain Singapore’s readiness for emerging threats.
Existing border health measures include the Electronic Health Declaration card, through which incoming travellers, including returning residents, must declare their health status and travel history. Travellers showing symptoms after visiting affected areas may also undergo medical assessment at points of entry.
With the three additions, Singapore’s list of dangerous infectious diseases under the Act will increase to eight. The five already listed are Ebola, Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus infection (MERS-CoV), plague, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and yellow fever.
The CDA’s weekly bulletin will begin including the three diseases in November. The list was last amended in 2024, when Covid-19 was removed from the category of dangerous infectious diseases. - October 19, 2026