First Zika virus case confirmed in Kerala; 24-year-old pregnant woman found infected
India | Jul 08, 2021, 07:37 PM ISTKerala has reported its first case of Zika virus, state health minister Veena George said on Thursday.
Kerala has reported its first case of Zika virus, state health minister Veena George said on Thursday.
More than 100 million infections of Zika virus within Central and South America and the Caribbean went undetected between 2015 and 2018, according to a new study.
Over 750 million genetically modified mosquitos will be released in Florida Keys in the next two years. According to the reports, the plan has been approved from the US authorities on Tuesday.
While Zika is primarily spread by mosquitoes, researchers have been aware of its potential for sexual transmission based on cases in which people became infected after having sex with a partner who had visited a Zika-affected area.
Coronavirus was first reported to the World Health Organisation from the Wuhan city of China on December 31. Since then, the virus has brought the entire world in a lockdown situation and India is no different.
Stressing that the advisory was not based on facts, the state government said that the situation was "totally under control".
The antibodies "may have the dual utility as diagnostics capable of recognising Zika virus subtypes and may be further developed to treat Zika virus infection," said Ravi Durvasula from Loyola University in the US.
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.
Most of the cases which have been reported are from Shastri Nagar area where fogging and other anti-larvae activities are being carried out to prevent the spread of the virus.
According to a Union Health Ministry official, 25 pregnant women are said to be affected out of the total number of patients.
Of all the affected people, twenty three are said to be pregnant women. A health ministry official in Delhi said that the 20 new Zika cases confirmed were from Jaipur and two neighbouring districts.
The health minister urged the people of the state to not panic and to cooperate with the health officials for controlling the breeding of larvae.
Various state representatives have been asked to implement guidelines as prescribed under the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme for effective control of Zika.
The figures were issued after a review meeting chaired by Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) medical and health, Veenu Gupta.
To monitor the measures being taken to check the virus outbreak in the pink city, a WHO team will be visiting Jaipur soon, official sources said.
Sources at the Union Health Ministry said that out of the total 50 patients who have tested positive for the Zika virus, 11 are pregnant women.
The first case had surfaced on September 22. Fogging and other anti-larvae activities are being carried out in the Shastri Nagar area to prevent the spread of the virus.
Union Health Minister JP Nadda said Zika cases have been detected due to strong surveillance systems put in place.
The prime ministerial-level intervention comes as 22 people were tested positive for the infection in Rajasthan's Jaipur, which is a cause of concern for Delhi too as the threat is looming large over the national capital.
Doctors and experts have warned saying that the virus might just reach Delhi anytime as many cases have already been reported from Jaipur.
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