 "8 court staff test positive for Zika virus in Kerala's Kannur district")
Seven more staff of the district court complex at Thalassery tested positive for Zika Virus on Sunday, taking the total number of cases which have been confirmed in the state's northern Kannur district to 8. Keeping in mind the rise in the number of cases, the Kerala government on Sunday said that it has issued high vigil and measures have been intensified to prevent the spread of the Zika virus.
State Health Minister Veena George said authorities are taking all precautions to prevent the spread of the virus. However, Zika Virus affects pregnant women and can cause birth defects such as microcephaly in the foetus, the minister said. "Pregnant women in the region are under special observation of the health department. Both government and private health institutions were alerted against the virus transmission," she said.
The state's health department said in a release that the elderly and children should maintain caution and avoid getting bitten by mosquitoes.
The first infection was reported on October 30, and after that, a medical camp was organised in the area on November 1, during which 24 samples were collected and sent for testing, the department said.
Fogging and spraying, as well as a larval survey, were carried out to eliminate Zika virus-carrying mosquitoes.
Zika virus detected in mosquitos in Karnataka's Chikkaballapura district
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On November 2, Zika virus was detected in a mosquito species in Chikkaballapura district of Karnataka, following which blood samples of people with high fever have been sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) for examination.
The virus was detected in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes after samples from six waterbodies in Chikkaballapura were collected and sent for examination in August last week.
What is the Zika virus?
First isolated in 1947 from the blood of a rhesus monkey in Zika forest in Uganda, the Zika virus is a mosquito-borne flavivirus. There have been outbreaks ever since, mainly in Africa, South America and so on. It peaked in early 2016, with the cumulative number of documented and suspected cases exceeding 1 million. But from 2017 onwards, cases of Zika have been waning.