Lucknow: Zika virus cases are on the rise in Uttar Pradesh. On Wednesday alone, 16 new cases were reported. With this, the total number of Zika virus cases in the state has crossed 100. Of the 106 new cases reported, nine were men and seven were women. The IANS reports that this includes two pregnant women from the Chakeri area and the neighboring Kannauj district. The doctors said that they had undergone an ultrasound examination.
Those who were confirmed to have syphilis did not have serious symptoms. Everyone is admitted to the Home Quarantine. Health officials have been instructed to check the spread of the disease, trace its source and intensify sanitation programs, officials said. The officials added that they had asked the health department officials to collect and test samples from house to house. The 16 newly diagnosed patients are residents of Harjinder Nagar, Pokharpur, Tiwaripur Bagia, and Khasi Khera in the Chakeri area.
Meanwhile, 25 people, including six Indian Air Force personnel in Kanpur, had been diagnosed with the virus. With this, the number of infected persons in the district increased to 36. District Magistrate (DM) Visakh G said 14 of the cases were women. The health department on Sunday tested the blood samples of 586 people and 25 of them were diagnosed with the disease, the DM said. The first case of the Zika virus was confirmed in Kanpur on October 23. The first case of the virus was reported in the city by the warrant officer of the IAF.
Currently, 3,283 samples have been collected and sent to the Virology Lab at KGMU in Lucknow and the NIV in Pune for testing. Zika virus is transmitted by daytime Aedes mosquitoes. The main symptoms of Zika are mild fever, red eyes, muscle and joint pain, malaise, and headache. The rising number of Zika virus cases is creating a worrying situation in Uttar Pradesh.
