E-Paper
After Kanpur and Kannauj, Zika cases detected in Lucknow, 2 test positive
The first case of Zika virus infection in Uttar Pradesh was detected when an Indian Air Force (IAF) warrant officer tested positive in Kanpur on October 23 after which the Union health ministry had sent a high-level multi-disciplinary team to the city.
Lucknow became the third district in Uttar Pradesh to report Zika virus cases as two people tested positive in the city after which the health department carried out contact tracing and a primary containment exercise.
Till date, 111 Zika virus cases have been reported in Uttar Pradesh this year – 108 in Kanpur, one in Kannauj and now two in Lucknow. The samples of Zika virus patients in Lucknow were tested at King George’s Medical University.
“Both the patients (in Lucknow) are stable and have no symptoms. We have taken samples of close contacts and got fogging and anti-larva spray done in the vicinity of their homes. More sampling will be done,” said Dr KP Tripathi, the official in-charge of vector borne disease control in Lucknow.
One patient is a 30-year-old man residing in the Hussainganj area of Lucknow. The other is a 24-year-old woman from the Krishnanagar area on Kanpur Road in the state capital. The man had fever for one day. Their samples were taken for tests under random sampling.
“We have isolated both the patients and also asked their family members to remain at home. The neighbours in a 50-metre area have been educated about preventive measures. On Friday morning, we will further check people in a 100-metre area and fogging will be repeated during the night,” said Dr Tripathi.
Health department teams are tracing fever cases around the homes of the two patients. People have been asked to report any fever cases to the health department.
Lucknow has reported over 1100 dengue cases this year, over 700 of them since September 1.
The first case of Zika virus infection in Uttar Pradesh was detected when an Indian Air Force (IAF) warrant officer tested positive in Kanpur on October 23 after which the Union health ministry had sent a high-level multi-disciplinary team to the city.
Zika is a mosquito-borne virus that spreads through the bite of an infected Aedes species of mosquito named Aedes Aegypti.
