PATNA: The state health department on Tuesday sounded an alert for
Zika virus in all 38 districts and asked officials concerned to keep a close watch on people showing symptoms of the disease.
Zika virus is a mosquito-borne disease spread by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes which also cause dengue and chikungunya. The symptoms of the disease include
fever, skin rashes, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain, malaise and headache.
According to the statewide alert issued by the health department, all pregnant women will be monitored in areas where the people are suffering from fever.
“All districts have been asked to activate disease control and surveillance measures,” state health minister Mangal Pandey said, adding the hospitals have also been asked to report to the health department if they come across people showing symptoms of the disease.
Epidemiologist Dr Ragini Mishra said all rapid response teams at block and district levels have been activated. “The hospitals have been told to maintain the travel history record of people showing symptoms of Zika virus,” Mishra said.
She added the samples of all suspected cases would be sent to National Institute of Virology in Pune or viral research and diagnostic laboratories in various parts of the country for tests.
Earlier, the Union ministry of health and family welfare had sounded an alert to Bihar on Sunday after a 22-year-old native of Siwan, presently studying in Jaipur, was tested positive for Zika virus.
“Chourasia had stayed at his native village Hariharpur Lalgarh in Siwan from August 28 to September 12 to write his bachelor of computer science papers. He had arrived in Patna on September 7 and returned to his native village complaining about fever,” Mishra said.
She added Pankaj returned to Jaipur on September 12, where he was admitted in Sawai Man Singh Hospital. “He was tested positive for Zika virus. We have kept his eight family members at Siwan on double observation for the next 26 days,” Mishra added.