Kanpur has become a hotspot for with 36 cases of Zika virus infection

With 25 more people having tested positive for Zika in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur, the city has now emerged as a hotspot for the virus.

The total number of cases in the city are now 36.

Kanpur District Magistrate, Vishal G Iyer, who held an emergency meeting on Wednesday evening with health officials, said: "The condition of all 25 patients is stable, and there is no need to panic. All the new patients are in home isolation and special teams have been constituted to monitor their health.

"One patient from the earlier cases has been shifted to Kanshi Ram Trauma Centre from home isolation."

The latest Zika virus cases were reported from the civilian as well as Army base in Chakeri area of Kanpur.

An alert has been announced in the radius of 30 km of area and a massive vector control drive has also been launched.

The District Magistrate said: "I personally appeal to all residents to ensure that there is no stagnant water collecting in their house or periphery. Fogging exercise and sample collection is on in full swing. We all have to cooperate with each other to overcome this."

The first Zika virus case was reported from Pardewanpurwa in Chakeri on October 23 after a 57-year-old Indian Air Force officer tested positive for the virus.

Later, he was admitted to Air Force hospital where the doctors said his condition to be stable.

These are the major symptoms that have been found in people and usually last for 2-7 days —

• Mild to high fever
• Rashes
• Conjunctivitis
• Muscle and joint pain
• Headache
• Malaise
• Nausea and vomiting

How can Zika virus be diagnosed?

If you have any of the symptoms, go for a blood, or other body fluids such as urine or semen, test.

How Zika virus infections spread?

Primarily, Zika virus is transmitted through the bite of Aedes mosquitoes which stings usually during the day. However, it can also be transferred from mother to foetus, unprotected sexual contact with an infected person, transfusion of blood and blood products and organ transplantation.

How can you protect yourself from this virus?

1. The foremost recommended way to protect yourself is wear light coloured clothes which covers your maximum body area.
2. Keep your windows and doors closed to avoid the entering of flies and mosquitoes.
3. Apply mosquito repellent on skin or clothing that contains DEET, IR3535 or icaridin, which will be mentioned in the product label, prescribed by WHO.
4. Young children and pregnant women should sleep under mosquito nets to protect them from infected mosquitoes.
5. Avoid collection/storage of water, as these mosquitoes breed in such conditions.
6. Travellers who are going to these infected areas should take proper precautions.

With inputs from IANS

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