Zika outbreak in Rajasthan: 131 people, including 41 pregnant women, test positive for virus

New Delhi: Five more people tested positive for Zika virus in Rajasthan’s Jaipur Tuesday, taking the total number of such cases to 131, a government official said. “Out of the 131 patients, 41 are pregnant women,” he said. The official said, “Of the total infected, around 117 have recovered after treatment.” [caption id=“attachment_3493535” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. AP[/caption] A senior Health Ministry official said the outbreak so far is localised and no other cases have been reported from any other state. According to the latest report, out of the total 1,32,872 houses searched, 84,580 were found positive for mosquito breeding. An Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) team recently visited Jaipur and changed the insecticides that were being sprayed to kill the mosquitoes and larvae. Besides, the Rajasthan Health Department formed a five-member committee on Saturday to investigate, examine and track Zika virus disease in pregnant patients of first trimester. The committee will submit a report to the public health director from time to time. The department has appealed to the people to keep doors of their residences and shops open and asked those with breathing difficulties to remain at bay during fogging activities. Most of the cases which have been reported are from the Shastri Nagar area in Jaipur where fogging and other anti-larvae activities are being carried out to prevent the spread of the virus. 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 in newborns. In India, the first outbreak was reported in Ahmedabad in January 2017 and the second in Tamil Nadu’s Krishnagiri district in July 2017. Both these outbreaks were successfully contained through intensive surveillance and vector management. The disease is under surveillance by the Union Health Ministry although it is no longer a Public Health Emergency of International Concern under WHO notification since 18 Novembe, 2016.