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Karnataka sounds alert after first case of Zika
Karnataka has reported its first case of Zika virus after a five-year-old girl was found infected, health minister K Sudhakar said on Tuesday, adding the government has issued an alert in the state.
Karnataka has reported its first case of Zika virus after a five-year-old girl was found infected, health minister K Sudhakar said on Tuesday, adding the government has issued an alert in the state.
The girl is a resident of Kolicamp in Manvi taluk, Raichur district. On Tuesday, a three-member central team visited Kolicamp to take stock of the situation and recommend measures to prevent the spread of the virus, people aware of the details said.
“We received the lab report from Pune on the confirmed Zika virus case. On December 5, it was processed and reported on December 8. Three specimens were sent, out of which two were negative and one was positive. This belonged to a five-year-old girl. We are keeping a vigil,” Sudhakar said.
Sudhakar said there is no need for any worry and assured the government is taking all necessary measures to contain the spread of the virus.
The viral disease is carried by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which also spreads vector-borne diseases such as dengue and chikungunya.
Authorities are gathering the travel history of the girl and preventive measures have been initiated in areas surrounding the girl’s residence, the people cited above said. On July 8, Kerala was the first state to record a case of Zika virus after a pregnant woman tested positive. In August, Maharashtra reported its first case after a 50-year-old woman in Pune’s Purandar tehsil was infected.
