Eight new Zika cases in Rajasthan

Press Trust of India  |  Jaipur 

Eight new cases of were detected in Saturday, taking the total number of infected people to 117, a department spokesperson said.

Out of the total 117 patients, 98 have recovered after treatment, he said.

The state department also formed a five-member committee on Saturday to investigate, examine and track disease in pregnant patients of first trimester.The committee will submit the report to the director public from time to time, an order said.

Most of the cases which have been reported are from Shastri Nagar area here where fogging and other anti-larvae activities are being carried out to prevent the spread of the virus.

The virus, transmitted through the 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 baby's is significantly smaller in newborns.

In India, the first outbreak was reported in Ahmedabad in January 2017 and the second in Tamil Nadu's district in July that year. Both these outbreaks were successfully contained through intensive surveillance and vector management.

The disease is under surveillance of the although it is no longer a Public Health Emergency of International Concern under WHO notification since November 18, 2016.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

First Published: Sat, October 20 2018. 18:30 IST