NEW DELHI, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- Indian authorities have put the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh on high health alert in the wake of Zika virus outbreak in Rajasthan state.
A senior health official said Monday all hospitals in Uttar Pradesh have been asked to be extra vigilant on people suffering from fever as the northern state could be the next after Rajasthan where over 100 cases have been reported so far.
Meanwhile, the state's director of communicable diseases, Mithilesh Chaturvedi, has said there was a need to keep strict watch on people suffering from fever as Aedes aegypti, the mosquito that spreads Zika virus," is widely prevalent" in the northern state.
Chaturvedi has asked airports advised to take preventive measures particularly in dealing with passengers from Rajasthan. "There should be proper examination of passengers complaining of fever, maculopapular rash or any other associated symptom," he told the media.
In Rajasthan, the number of Zika cases has crossed 100, and most are from state capital Jaipur. The Indian Ministry has already set up a control room at the National Centre for Disease Control to undertake regular monitoring of the situation in Rajasthan.
Zika virus disease is spread by daytime-active Aedes mosquitoes. Its symptoms include fever, skin rashes, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain, and headache.
This is the third Zika virus outbreak in India since January 2017.
The first outbreak of Zika was reported in India in January 2017 in the western state of Gujarat, while the second outbreak was reported in the southern state of Tamil Nadu in July 2017. Both these outbreaks were contained.
