Zika Virus Cases in Rajasthan Rise to 60, State Health Department Issues Advisory for Pregnant Women

Jaipur: Five new cases of Zika virus were detected in Jaipur on Sunday, taking the total number of infected people to 60, a Rajasthan health department official said.

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

"Forty-five out of the total 60 patients are healthy after treatment," the official said after the meeting where measures required to contain the situation were discussed.

Most of the cases which have been reported are from Shastri Nagar area here where fogging and other anti-larvae activities are being carried out to prevent the spread of the virus.

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 said.

The state health department has also issued an advisory for pregnant women staying outside the affected area to not visit Shastri Nagar.

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.

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.