A woman tested positive for Zika in Rajasthan, first case in the state: official

A woman from Jaipur has been tested positive for mosquito-borne Zika virus, a medical school official said, adding it was the first such case in Rajasthan.

The woman was admitted to Sawai Man Singh Hospital (SMS) on September 11th with joint pain, redness of the eyes and weakness, but was tested negative for dengue fever and swine flu.

Samples were sent to the National Institute of Virology in Pune for a Zika virus test and the report came to a positive conclusion, said Sunday the director of the SMS Medical University, Dr. US Agrawal.

"I believe this is the first case of Zika virus in the state," he added.

The woman, a resident of Shastri Nagar region in Jaipur, left the hospital a few days after her condition improved, Agrawal said.

The hospital administration has alerted the state health department, he said.

Zika virus is a mosquito-borne flavivirus that was first identified in Uganda in 1947 in monkeys. According to the World Health Organization, it was identified in humans in 1952 in Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania.