Zika virus in Rajasthan: 120 people tested positive, says Health Minister

Jaipur, Oct 22: Six more people were tested positive for Zika virus in Rajasthan's Jaipur district Sunday, taking the total number of such cases to 120, a government official said.

Speaking to media, Rajasthan Health Minister Kalicharan Saraf said,''Till, now, 120 people have tested positive for #Zika Virus in the state out of which 105 of them have been treated. Door-to door survey is being done for screening and awareness of Zika Virus.''

Zika virus has been found in some mosquitoes taken as samples from Sindhi Camp and densely populated Shastri Nagar.

Most of the Zika cases reported were from Shastri Nagar area, where fogging and other anti-larvae activities are being carried out.

The official said more than 1 lakh households have been surveyed in Shastri Nagar and neighbouring areas and 330 teams have been engaged to destroy mosquito larvae found during the survey.

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.

During the latest outbreak of the virus, the first case surfaced on September 22, when an 85-year-old woman with no recent travel history tested positive for the virus.

What is Zika?
The number of Zika virus cases has crossed 100 in Rajasthan. Here are few things that we need to know about the outbreak.

The Zika virus is a mosquito-transmitted infection. During pregnancy, the virus can cause birth defects in newborn called microcephaly - a condition defined by small heads and brain damage, along with other defects like blindness, deafness, seizures and other congenital defects.

Zika virus can also lead to Guillain-Barré syndrome, a form of temporary paralysis in adults, that has links to other neurological complications.