Rajasthan: Five New Cases of Zika Virus Detected in Jaipur; Total 60

Notably, the figures were issued after a review meeting chaired by Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) medical and health, Veenu Gupta.

New Delhi: The number of Zika virus cases in Rajasthan has climbed to 60, after five more people tested positive for the disease on Sunday. Most of the cases which have been reported are from Shastri Nagar area where fogging and other anti-larvae activities are being carried out to prevent the spread of the virus. The state health department has also issued an advisory for pregnant women staying outside the affected area to not visit Shastri Nagar.

“Forty-five out of the total 60 patients are healthy after treatment,”  a Rajasthan health department official said. Notably, the figures were issued after a review meeting chaired by Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) medical and health, Veenu Gupta.

Till Saturday, door-to-door survey at 76,000 households was conducted in Shastri Nagar and mosquito larvae was found and quarantined in nearly 64,000 households, the officer added.

In India, the first outbreak was reported in Ahmedabad in January 2017 and the second in Tamil Nadu’s Krishnagiri district in July that year. Both these outbreaks were successfully contained through intensive surveillance and vector management.

The disease is under surveillance of the Union Health Ministry although it is no longer a Public Health Emergency of International Concern under WHO notification since November 18, 2016.

The virus, transmitted through the aedes aegypti mosquito, causes fever, skin rashes, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain. It is harmful to pregnant women, as it can lead to microcephaly, a condition in which a baby’s head is significantly smaller than expected, in newborn children.

(With inputs from agencies)