SINGAPORE, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Singapore's Health Ministry confirmed the 17th case of the mosquito-borne chikungunya disease here on Thursday.

    The ministry revealed that the latest victim was E. C. Sng, among the four new cases that caught the disease overseas recently.

    Sng believed he caught the virus while playing golf at Jakarta's Jagorawi Golf and Country Club a month ago. His infectious period is now over.

    Since the first local-transmitted case was detected on Jan. 14,so far 13 people have been infected locally while another four caught the virus overseas, the ministry said.

    Its spokesman said: "The virus can be carried into Singapore and the presence of the Aedes mosquito means the threat will remain."

    Like the dengue virus, the chikungunya virus is spread by the Aedes mosquito. Currently, there is no vaccine to prevent chikungunya fever, which is characterized by fever, joint pains, chills and nausea.

    The ministry said the best way to prevent chikungunya fever is to take precautionary measures to prevent mosquito breeding around the house and to protect oneself against mosquito bites.