Zika Virus Outbreak in India

Zika Virus has been on an outbreak for several days in Uttar Pradesh. Around 90 people have been tested positive for the Zika virus.

The first case was reported in Kanpur on October 23 when a warrant officer of the Indian Air Force was tested positive for Zika. Today, 10 people were tested positive for the Zika virus, including three Indian Air Force personnel.

Kanpur district magistrate, Vishak G Iyer said, "Out of the 89 infected people (in Kanpur), 55 are men and 34 are women. Among these, 23 are those who are below the age of 21. Of the total infected persons, 12 are Indian Air Force personnel. This includes 11 men and one woman."

Health frontline workers have been collected blood samples of several people for 3 days. The blood samples of around 525 people have already been collected between Thursday and Saturday and have been sent to the virology lab of the King's George Medical University in Lucknow and the National Institute of Virology in Pune for testing. However, a total of 3,283 samples have been collected from the city.

Iyer also said that health teams have collected samples of people who were in close contact with the infected persons and living in a radius of 3km of Indian Air Force station hangars for testing.

Kannauj also reported its first case of the Zika virus on Saturday. Dr. Vinod Kumar, CMO said, "A 45-year-old person has tested positive of Zika virus in Kapoorpur Katri village under Sadar tehsil of the district. Samples of 32 people were sent for testing, and one sample tested positive. As of now, the condition of the patient is stable, and he is being administered treatment at his home."

According to Kanpur CMO Nepal Singh, all the city's new cases were found in the localities around the IAF base in Chakeri.

50 mosquitoes were captured and were sent to the National Malaria Research Institute in New Delhi has tested positive for the Zika virus. 

GK Mishra, the additional director of health of the Kanpur division said, "The malaria control department had sent these samples for the test. This is the first time that a mosquito sample sent in three batches has tested positive for Zika."

Writer - Tanishq Aggarwal

Please feel free to ask anything. We are happy to answer all your questions.