Thiruvananthapuram, July 9: Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Kerala is also facing a threat from the Zika virus The number of infected people from the Zika virus in Kerala rose to 14 on Friday after the National Institute of Virology (NIV) confirmed 13 more cases. Out of the 14 infected people, 13 are health workers. The state has been put on high alert. A six-member central team of experts has been dispatched to Kerala to monitor the Zika virus situation.

On Thursday, the first case of Zika virus has been detected in the state after the disease was reported in a 24-year-old pregnant woman from Parassala. Kerala Health Minister Veena George assured of immediate action to control the virus spread. Zika Virus Cases Reported in Kerala, Says State Health Minister Veena George.

Tweet By ANI: 

George said, "Immediate action will be taken after examining the various areas of the city where they lived and their travel history. Coordinated action will be taken by various departments." The union government is closely monitoring the situation.

Addressing a press conference, Joint Secretary of Union Health Ministry Lav Agarwal, "There are some Zika cases which have been reported from Kerala. To monitor the situation and to support the state government, a six-member team comprising public health experts, vector-borne disease experts and clinicians from AIIMS has already been issued instructions to reach there and support the state government in terms of management of Zika there."

What Is Zika Virus?

Zika virus is a mosquito-borne pathogen. It is spread through the bite of the Aedes mosquito. The virus causes infection when it enters the human bloodstream. The first case was detected in 1947 Uganda in monkeys and later in humans. Meanwhile, In India, the first case of the Zika virus was detected in May 2017. The symptoms of Zika are similar to those of other mosquito-borne diseases like dengue and chikungunya. Experts also the virus can also be transmitted to sexual partners.

(With inputs from PTI)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 09, 2021 11:25 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).