Rajasthan on alert as 55 people are infected with Zika virus in Jaipur

Zika virus can cause miscarriages without symptoms, according to a new study. (Source: Photo file)

The number of cases of Zika virus in Rajasthan has risen to 55, including 11 pregnant women, said an official of the health department of Rajasthan quoted by PTI, after a balance sheet meeting chaired by Chief Secretary (Medical and Health) Veenu Gupta. . A team from the National Institute for Malaria Research (NIMR) has collected fresh mosquito samples in different parts of Jaipur. According to officials, the first case was reported on 23 September, after which tests showed the presence of the virus in mosquitoes of the genus Aedes aegypti on 26 September.

According to the Ministry of Health of the Union, after the Shastri Nagar region, three students residing at the Rajput hostel of neighboring Sindhi camp were subjected to a positive screening test. The virus has already been found in some mosquitoes collected in Sindhi camp, while some mosquitoes collected in Shastri Nagar, a densely populated city, were already carrying the virus, which suggests that they are at risk. origin of the spread of the infection.

Preventive measures such as fogging and other anti-larval activities are under way in the Shastri Nagar region and the health department has issued a notice to pregnant women staying outside Shastri Nagar not to to go to the area. A stocktaking meeting was organized to take stock of the situation and discuss the measures to be taken. A control room has been activated at the National Center for Disease Control and the number of surveillance teams in Jaipur has increased from 50 to 170.

Read | Rajasthan: 29 people tested positive for the largest zika epidemic in the history of India

At the same time, a special isolation center was set up at the Hira Bagh Training Center to treat patients with Zika virus and at least 38 of the cases showed an improvement in health after treatment, said a head of the health department.

In order to raise awareness of the virus and prevention strategies, the Government of Rajasthan has received information, education and communication (IEC) materials.

The first outbreak of Zika virus in India was reported in Ahmedabad in January 2017 and the second in Krishnagiri district, Tamil Nadu, in July of the same year. Both epidemics were controlled through intensive surveillance and vector management.

Fever, rashes, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain are the symptoms of Zika virus infection. It is harmful to pregnant women because it can lead to microcephaly, a condition in which the head of a baby is significantly smaller than expected, in newborns.

According to the World Health Organization, there is no treatment available for infection with the Zika virus or its associated diseases.

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