5 MORE ZIKA CASES REPORTED IN RAJASTHAN

JAIPUR/ NEW DELHI: More cases of Zika virus were detected in Jaipur Saturday taking the total number of infected people to 55, a Rajasthan health department official said.

The figure was issued by the department after a review meeting chaired by the additional chief secretary (medical and health) Veenu Gupta.

The official said of the total patients, 38 are doing fine after treatment. Union Health Ministry officials said fresh mosquito samples have been collected from various parts of Jaipur by a team from the National Institute of Malaria Research (NIMR).

Rajput Hostel on Station Road was quarantined from Friday evening after six students were found to be zika positive.

Two policemen have been deployed outside the gate to stop students from going out.

With the central bus stand at Sindhi Camp situated just 300 metres away from Rajput Hostel, the risk of the infection spreading from the hostel remains high. “This is the reason we have quarantined Rajput Hostel.

Thousands of people travel to different parts of the state and outside the state from Sindhi Camp and we do not want to risk zika virus disease spreading,” said an official requesting anonymity.

All the students and staff of the hostel are being monitored, said Dr VK Mathur, director of public health.