Thiruvananthapuram: Three more people have tested positive for Zika virus in Kerala on Thursday. With this, the total number of infected has gone up to 44. State Health Minister Veena George told that three cases are from Thiruvananthapuram. The first case of Zika virus in the state was reported on July 7, a pregnant woman from Thiruvananthapuram was the first patient of Zika virus in the country. The Zika virus caseload has risen to 44 in a fortnight.
The infected on Thursday included a 27-year-old resident near Thiruvananthapuram Medical College, a 38-year-old resident of Petta and a three-year-old child. In a statement issued to the press, it was told that the infection has been confirmed in the examination of the medical virology laboratory. The total number of infected in the state increased to 44, while six patients are undergoing treatment. According to the Health Department, the patients have not been admitted to the hospital and at present the condition of all is stable.
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State Health Minister Veena George said Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation has intensified vector containment activities. He said that a control room has been set up in the DMO, which will work round the clock.
The testing facilities were set up in three districts – Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur and Kozhikode. The Kerala government had launched a statewide viral control campaign.
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A person can test positive for the Zika virus when bitten by Aedes species mosquitoes. These mosquitoes are meant to live only indoors and are active during the day. The same species of mosquito spreads diseases like chikungunya, dengue and yellow fever.
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