Beware! Zika virus spreads across Rajasthan as 18 new cases reported in Jaipur; toll reaches 51

As per the latest report by a team from the National Institute of Malaria Research (NIMR), the samples collected from the Jaipur and various other districts has revealed that the number of Zika patients in the Rajasthan capital rose to 51 as of now.

Out of the total 50 patients reported to have been suffering from Zika, 11 are pregnant women said the sources at the Union Health Ministry, adding that after Shastri Nagar area, three students residing at Rajput hostel in neighbouring Sindhi Camp have tested positive.

The Zika virus has already spread from the Sindhi camp to the neighbouring societies and villages, including the densely populated SHASTRI Nagar, which have been found to be the carriers of the spreading virus across the state and nation.

The first case had surfaced on September 22 when an 85-year-old woman with no travel history tested positive for the disease.

Fogging and other anti-larvae activities are being carried out in the Shastri Nagar area to prevent the spread of the virus.

Earlier, a health department official had said 30 of the total cases were doing fine after treatment.

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 intens.

Zika virus disease is caused by a virus transmitted primarily by Aedes mosquitoes, which bite during the day. Symptoms are generally mild and include fever, rash, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain, malaise or a headache. Symptoms typically last for two to seven days.

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