Karnataka: Zika Virus Confirmed In Chikkaballapur, Govt On High Alert Mode

Chikkaballapura District Health Officer Mahesh Kumar confirmed the presence of the Zika virus in the district.

The health authorities are closely monitoring about 5,000 people in the region.

After the detection of the deadly Zika virus in mosquitoes in Chikkaballapur district, Karnataka Health Department is on high alert to curb the spread of infection. The Zika virus was found in mosquitoes in Talakayalabetta village in Sidlaghatta taluk of Chikkaballapura district located close to Bengaluru Urban district.

Chikkaballapura District Health Officer Mahesh Kumar confirmed the presence of the Zika virus in the district, reported IANS.

According to the health department, mosquitos were tested for the presence of the Zika virus in 68 different locations across the state. Similarly, samples were collected from six different locations in the Chikkaballapura district.

The health authorities started to act quickly after the development instituting preventive measures to halt its spread.

The health authorities have already held special meetings, and officers have been given clear instructions to mitigate the crisis in its early stages.

The officers collected blood samples from 30 pregnant women and seven people with fever symptoms and sent them to Bengaluru for testing. The samples were collected from villages within a five-kilometer radius of Talakayala Betta village.

The officers had visited Venkatapura, Dibburahalli, Bachchanahalli, Vaddahalli, and other areas to assess the situation.

The health authorities are closely monitoring about 5,000 people in the region.

The development has sparked concern because the Chikkaballapura district is close to Bengaluru's capital.   

Zika is a viral infection spread by mosquitos and can result in birth defects. Some of the symptoms of Zika include fever, rash, headache, joint pain, red eyes and muscle pain. The virus was first identified in monkeys in Uganda in 1947 and in humans in 1952.

The illness is usually mild with symptoms lasting for several days to a week after being bitten by an infected mosquito. These are the same mosquitoes that spread dengue, chikungunya, and yellow fever.