72 afflicted in India Zika virus outbreak

NEW DELHI: India’s Zika virus outbreak is turning out to be worse this year, with 72 people being diagnosed with the infection, according to Xinhua news agency.

“With 12 fresh cases in the past 24 hours, the number of Zika infected patients has now touched 72.

All these patients are from the western Indian state of Rajasthan’s capital Jaipur, barely 300km from the national capital,” a senior health official said yesterday.

A number of victims are migrant workers from eastern Indian states, while others are locals, the official added.

Meanwhile, Rajasthan’s top health official Veenu Gupta said of the 72 cases, 60 patients had recovered while the rest were under observation.

To counter Zika, fogging and anti-larvae activities were intensified in the city, she said.

Alarmed by the rising number of Zika cases, the Indian Health Ministry has already set up a control room at the National Centre for Disease Control to undertake regular monitoring of the situation in Rajasthan.

The ministry has also directed states to adhere to the norms of National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme for controlling Zika.

“However, there is no need to panic as it’s not fatal,” said Gupta.

Zika virus disease is spread by daytime- active Aedes mosquitoes.

Its symptoms include fever, skin rashes, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain, and headache.

This is the third Zika virus outbreak in India since January 2017. — Bernama