Six more people tested positive for Zika virus in Rajasthan, cases rise to 123

New Delhi: 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.

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.