Jaipur – Deadly Zika virus spreads rapidly in Rajasthan with seven new cases admitted by the Rajasthan Health Department on Tuesday. Bihar has been declared high-alert with Health ministry closely monitoring every new outpatient in the hospitals. Currently, over 90 pregnant ladies are under surveillance.
It seems to be the biggest Zika outbreak in India. The Health Ministry claimed to curb the outbreak yet three new cases of pregnant ladies have been reported in Shastrinagar proximity of Jaipur.
Meanwhile, Bihar’s Siwan district has been put on high-alert after a youth who was travelling between Rajasthan and Bihar was tested positive.
According to NDTV report, Venu Gupta – the secretary of the state’s health ministry – said, “the government had taken efforts to destroy mosquito breeding grounds by conducting searches in 26,000 households.”
The first Zika virus victim was spotted in Sawai Man Singh Hospital of Jaipur on 23rd September 2018.
National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme of Central ministry offered medical support to Rajasthan.
Five testing labs have been set-up by the programme to collect the blood-samples to predict the possibility of the outbreak. Almost 450 people, including 168 pregnant women had been tested positive.
Zika virus is a flavivirus born from mosquitos. It was first identified in monkeys in Uganda in the year 1947.
According to World Health Organization (WHO), Zika virus infection in 86 countries.
Zika is transmitted same like malaria or dengue, that is through bites from the infected species of mosquitos. These mosquitos bite only in the daytime.
These mosquitos are also known to spread other diseases like yellow fever, chikungunya, and dengue.
Transmission is possible through blood contact, sexual contact, transfusion of blood from the infected person.
