Rajasthan : Six new Zika cases, total 123

Six more people tested positive for Zika virus in Rajasthan’s Jaipur district Sunday, taking the total number of such cases to 123, a government official said.

Of the 123 patients, around 105 have recovered after treatment, he said.

The state health department also 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 the report to the director public health from time to time, an order said. 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.

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 that year. Both these outbreaks were successfully contained through intensive surveillance and vector management.

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18 fresh cases of Zika in Rajasthan, total reaches 50

At least 18 more people have tested positive for Zika virus in Rajasthan’s Jaipur as of Friday.

A total of ten new cases of the virus came up in Shastri Nagar locality and 276 teams have been deployed in the affected wards.

The total number of people tested positive for Zika virus has reached 50 in Jaipur. Almost 11,313 houses were surveyed out of which 2,282 were positive for mosquito breeding. With over 39,000

containers have been checked out of which 3,567 are positive for larvae. For preventive measures, 133 blood and urine samples have been collected and sent to SMS Hospital.

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

At the review meeting, measures taken to contain the situation were discussed.

The first case came to light on September 22. The area has been fogged to prevent the spreading of virus.

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

A control room has been activated at the National Centre for Disease Control to monitor the situation.

The number of monitoring teams in Jaipur has been increased from 50 to 170 and a special isolation ward has been created at the Hira Bagh Training Centre to treat the Zika virus-affected patients.

A team from the National Institute of Malaria Research (NIMR) recently found Zika virus in some mosquitoes taken as samples from Shastri Nagar, leading to suspicion they are behind the infection.
Dr Neena Valecha, the NIMR director, had earlier said the virus appears to be locally transmitted.

The state government has been provided information, education and communication (IEC) material prepared to create awareness about Zika virus and prevention strategies.

The Zika virus, transmitted through 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 was reported in Tamil Nadu’s Krishnagiri district in July that year. Both these outbreaks were successfully contained through intensive surveillance and vector management, the ministry had said earlier.

The disease continues to be on surveillance radars of the Union Health Ministry although it is no longer a Public Health Emergency of International Concern under WHO notification since November 18, 2016.

Disclaimer: RSS has been taken from their official website.

Health ministry confirms 22 Zika cases in Rajasthan

After Jaipur in Rajasthan recorded 22 confirmed cases of Zika virus till Monday, the government has put neighbouring states on high alert.

Given that the pink city is part of India’s golden triangle tourist circuit, connecting the national capital and Agra, authorities said strict surveillance was required in the region.

“A few cases of Zika virus have been reported in Jaipur. We have alerted neighbouring states, including Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, to keep strict vigil on Zika virus. Given that the festive season is round the corner, many people travel to popular tourist destinations for year-end holidays. Since there is seamless travel between these states, the health authorities will have to be careful,” said Sunil Gupta, additional director, National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

The outbreak in Jaipur was detected through the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) surveillance system. The ministry of health and family welfare deputed a seven-member high level central team to Jaipur immediately following the detection of the first case to assist the state government in taking containment measures.

A control room has been set up at the NCDC to undertake regular monitoring of the situation. “All suspect cases in the defined area and mosquito samples from this area are being tested. Additional testing kits are provided to the Viral Research and Diagnostic Laboratories. All pregnant mothers in the area are being monitored through the National Health Mission (NHM). Extensive surveillance and vector control measures are being taken up in the areas as per protocol by the state government,” an official statement from Union health ministry said.

Zika is a mosquito-borne disease transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes. The disease is currently being reported by 86 countries worldwide. Symptoms of Zika virus disease are similar to other viral infections such as dengue, which include fever, skin rashes, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain and headache. In India, the first outbreak was reported in Ahmedabad in January-February 2017. The second outbreak was reported after five months in the Krishnagiri district in Tamil Nadu. Both were successfully contained through intensive surveillance and vector management.

The disease continues to be on surveillance radars of the Union health ministry although it is no longer a public health emergency of international concern, according to World Health Organization notification of 18 November, 2016.

Disclaimer: RSS has been taken from their official website.