Rajasthan: 50 test positive for Zika virus

Jaipur (Rajasthan) [India], Oct 13 (ANI): Rajasthan Government's official data on Saturday confirmed that 50 positive cases of Zika virus have been reported from Jaipur.
Rajasthan Additional Chief Secretary Veenu Gupta on Saturday conducted an inspection of the city's Shashtri Nagar and nearby areas and issued necessary directives to the concerned officials.
The first case of Zika virus in the city was reportedly found in an 85-year-old woman from Shashtri Nagar area of the city.
After Jaipur's Rajput Hostel was reportedly found to be infested with Aedes Aaegypti mosquitoes, the vector of Zika virus, Gupta also paid a visit there to meet students.
On her visit, Gupta spoke with the management and hostel students, assuring them of all the necessary support in lieu of the virus outbreak. She also appealed to the hostel students to stay inside the hostel and maintain adequate cleanliness in their surroundings.
The District Collector and Public Health Director also accompanied Gupta.
With 50 confirmed cases of Zika, this could possibly be the biggest outbreak of the virus in the country.
The 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.
Zika virus infection during pregnancy can cause infants to be born with microcephaly and other congenital malformations, known as congenital Zika syndrome. Infection with Zika virus is also associated with other complications of pregnancy including preterm birth and miscarriage. (ANI)