Rajasthan reports first case of Zika virus infection after woman tests positive in Jaipur
The hospital administration has alerted the state health department.
A woman tested positive for the Zika virus in Rajasthan’s Jaipur, principal of Sawai Man Singh Medical College and Hospital confirmed to PTI on Sunday.
“I believe this is the first case of Zika virus in the state,” said Dr US Agrawal. The hospital administration has alerted the state health department, he added.
The Zika virus is mainly transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, including Aedes aegypti that carries dengue. Most people infected with Zika will show no symptoms or will have only mild symptoms of fever, rash, joint pain, conjunctivitis and, possibly, muscle pain and headaches that may last for several days to a week.
Zika infections are linked to incidences of Guillain-Barré syndrome, a nervous system disorder caused by a person’s own immune system attacking nerve cells, causing muscle weakness, and sometimes, paralysis.
The 85-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital on September 11 with joint pain, redness in eyes and weakness, reported The Times of India. Samples were sent to the National Institute of Virology in Pune for a test of Zika virus after she tested negative for dengue and swine flu. She was discharged a few days ago after her condition improved, according to PTI.