The virus, transmitted through the aedes aegypti mosquito, causes fever, skin rashes, conjunctivitis, muscle, and joint pain. (Representational Image) The virus, transmitted through the aedes aegypti mosquito, causes fever, skin rashes, conjunctivitis, muscle, and joint pain. (Representational Image)

The number of Zika-infected cases in Rajasthan has climbed to 117 after eight fresh cases were detected by the health department in Jaipur on Saturday, PTI reported. The health department spokesperson said out of the total 117 infected patients, 98 people have recovered following medical supervision.

The discovery of eight new cases in the state capital comes at a time when health department in the state constituted a five-member committee to investigate, examine and track the outbreak of Zika virus cases in pregnant women during the initial trimester. PTI quoted a state order stating that the committee is expected to submit the report to the director of public health on a regular basis.

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Majority of cases have been found to be reported from Shastri Nagar locality in Jaipur where authorities are battling against the further outbreak of the disease by employing methods like fogging, and various other ‘anti-larvae’ activities.

The virus, transmitted through the aedes aegypti mosquito, causes fever, skin rashes, conjunctivitis, muscle, and joint pain. It is especially threatening to pregnant women as it can lead to microcephaly, a condition wherein the infant’s head is significantly smaller in newborns.

READ | Pregnancy, Zika, microcephaly: Three countries, same concerns

The maiden case of a Zika-infected individual was reported from Ahmedabad in January last year while the second such case surfaced in Krishnagiri in Tamil Nadu in July in the same year. In both the cases, outbreaks were effectively contained by means of intensive surveillance and other comprehensive vector management. ‘Vector’ are said to be agents that carry and transmit an infectious disease into another organism.

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