Kanpur reports 13 more Zika cases, tally climbs to 79
The first case of the Zika virus in Kanpur was confirmed on October 23. An IAF warrant officer suffering from fever was admitted to the Air Force hospital.
Thirteen new cases of Zika virus were reported in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur on Saturday, taking the tally of the mosquito-borne disease in the district to 79, health officials said.
The first case of the Zika virus in Kanpur was confirmed on October 23. An IAF warrant officer suffering from fever was admitted to the Air Force hospital. His samples were sent to SGPGIMS (Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences) in Lucknow, where it was confirmed that he was infected with the Zika virus.
The Union health ministry then sent a high-level multidisciplinary team to Uttar Pradesh to monitor the situation.
A high alert has been sounded in the periphery of hangars of the IAF station, said a senior health officer. Twelve localities in Kanpur have, so far, reported cases of the virus.
All the new cases have been reported from the localities around the India Air Force station in Chakeri area of Kanpur, said district magistrate Vishakh G Iyer. “We are regularly monitoring infected persons the way we had kept a vigil on Covid-19 infected patients”.
In view of the rising cases, chief minister Yogi Adityanath held a high-level meeting on Saturday. “Infection with the Zika virus is spreading rapidly in Kanpur. Considering the seriousness, special caution is required. Dengue testing should also be intensified. Arrangements should have been made in all hospitals. The health of each patient should be continuously monitored,” he said.
Zika is a mosquito-borne virus that spreads through the bite of infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. According to the World Health Organisation, Aedes mosquitoes usually bite during the day, peaking during early morning and late afternoon or evening. In the normal course, the symptoms of the Zika virus disease are mild and include fever, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain and rashes.
(With Agency inputs)
