Tamil Nadu reports fourth case of Zika virus in India

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Tamil Nadu reported India's fourth case of Zika virus on Monday. A 27-year-old man in Krishnagiri district of the state was detected positive for the virus, two months after the World Health Organisation confirmed presence of the virus in India.

According to reports, the case was confirmed after the man tested positive at King Institute of Preventive Medicine and Research in Chennai. He was also tested in two other labs located in Pune and Manipal.

The man has recovered now, the state health officials said.

The origin of the Zika virus in India is still not known. A probable reason could be international travel. However, in this case, the patient had not travelled abroad.

The virus entered the Indian subcontinent with three reported cases in Ahmedabad in May 2017. WHO had found the first samples at BJ Medical College in Gujarat.

However, according to health officials, the first case of a pregnant woman having Zika infection was reported in November 2016. The case did not come to public notice until May 2017.

Zika virus is an epidemic disease, which spreads through the Aedes mosquito, the same species of mosquito responsible for the spread of dengue and Chikungunya. Zika infections can spread through sexual intercourse and blood contact. Pregnant women have a higher chance of contracting the disease.

Zika was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on February 1, 2016 by the World Health Organisation. Fatalities for Zika are rare. However, there still exists no preventive vaccine or curative drug for the disease.

The Indian government has also released guidelines to prevent its outbreak in India.