At least 18 more people have tested positive for Zika virus in Rajasthans Jaipur as of Friday. A total of ten new cases of the virus came up in Shastri Nagar locality and 276 teams have been deployed in the affected wards. The total number of people tested positive for Zika virus has reached 50 in Jaipur. Almost 11,313 houses were surveyed out of which 2,282 were positive for mosquito breeding. With over 39,000 containers have been checked out of which 3,567 are positive for larvae. For preventive measures, 133 blood and urine samples have been collected and sent to SMS Hospital. Earlier, a department official had said that 30 of the total cases were doing fine after treatment. At the review meeting, measures taken to contain the situation were discussed. The first case came to light on September 22. The area has been fogged to prevent the spreading of virus. The department has also issued an advisory for pregnant women staying outside Shastri Nagar not to visit the area. A control room has been activated at the National Centre for Disease Control to monitor the situation. The number of monitoring teams in Jaipur has been increased from 50 to 170 and a special isolation ward has been created at the Hira Bagh Training Centre to treat the Zika virus-affected patients. A team from the National Institute of Malaria Research (NIMR) recently found Zika virus in some mosquitoes taken as samples from Shastri Nagar, leading to suspicion they are behind the infection. Dr Neena Valecha, the NIMR director, had earlier said the virus appears to be locally transmitted. The state government has been provided information, education and communication (IEC) material prepared to create awareness about Zika virus and prevention strategies. The Zika virus, transmitted through 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 babys head is significantly smaller than expected, in newborn children. In India, the first outbreak was reported in Ahmedabad in January 2017 and the second was reported in Tamil Nadus Krishnagiri district in July that year. Both these outbreaks were successfully contained through intensive surveillance and vector management, the ministry had said earlier. The disease continues to be on surveillance radars of the Union Health Ministry although it is no longer a Public Health Emergency of International Concern under WHO notification since November 18, 2016. (With Agency Inputs)

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