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AIIMS-Bhopal sent blood samples of HIV-positive people in Madhya Pradesh to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune to determine if the strain of the virus is identical to that used to infect patients in Jaipur, said an ICMR official on Saturday.
If the strain is found to be the same as that detected in Jaipur, it will be established that the virus was carried by a person who traveled from Jaipur to Madhya Pradesh, said the official.
In addition, an analysis of strains of the Zika virus collected in Jaipur, the center of the last outbreak of the disease in northern India, suggested that they did not exhibit known mutations related to fetal microcephaly. , a serious congenital anomaly in newborns born to infected mothers, according to the Ministry of Health.
The number of Zika cases climbed to 127 in Madhya Pradesh, including the deaths of two HIV-positive people.
The deceased, an 18-year-old man and a 23-year-old woman, were suffering from infection and other "serious" diseases. Therefore, we can not say that they died because of Zika, officials clarified.
Of the 127 people, 40 are pregnant women, said the official.
People have been tested positive for Zika virus in seven districts of Madhya Pradesh. This includes 44 cases reported in Bhopal, 20 in Sehore, 29 in Vidisha, two in Sagar and Hoshangabad, and one in Narsinghpur and Raisen.
A central team is reviewing the situation and helping the government of Madhya Pradesh to replicate the measures and plan of action implemented in Jaipur and Ahmedabad to contain the disease, said a CIMR official.
Jaipur reported 159 cases of infection in Zika, while Ahmedabad has reported one to date.
In India, the first outbreak of Zika virus was reported in Ahmedabad in January 2017 and the second in Krishnagiri district of Tamil Nadu in July of the same year. Both epidemics were controlled through intensive surveillance and vector management.
In the last outbreak of the virus in the country, the first case surfaced on September 22, when an 85-year-old woman was tested positive for the virus in Jaipur. Since then, the number of Zika cases has increased to 153 in Rajasthan.
In Madhya Pradesh, an intensive screening exercise is underway and vector control measures have been intensified. The government has issued a notice to district administrations to take steps to control mosquito breeding.
The state health department advised pregnant women not to visit the affected areas.
The Zika virus, transmitted by the mosquito aedes aegypti, causes fever, rashes, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pains.
It is harmful for pregnant women because they can transmit the infection to her fetus during pregnancy or around birth, resulting in microcephaly, a condition in which the baby's head is significantly smaller than expected.
The disease is under the supervision of the Ministry of Health of the Union, although it is no longer a public health emergency of international concern within the meaning of the WHO notification since November 18th. 2016.
(This story has not been changed by Business Standard staff and is generated automatically from a syndicated feed.)
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