Five-year-old girl from Raichur is Karnataka's first Zika virus patient

A five-year-old girl from Raichur district has become Karnataka's first confirmed Zika virus case.

The government is taking all necessary measures and there is not no need for worry or concern, Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar said on Monday.

"This is the first confirmed case in Karnataka. It came to light when the serum was subjected to Dengue and Chikungunya test. Usually 10 per cent of such samples are sent to Pune for test, out of which this has come across as positive," the Minister said.


The state government will shortly be issuing a set of guidelines, the minister added.

"We have got a lab report from Pune about the confirmed case of Zika virus. On December 5, it was processed and reported on December 8. Three specimens were sent out of which two were negative and one was positive, which is a five-year-old-girl. We are keeping a vigil," Sudhakar said.

Some cases were found a few months ago in Kerala, Maharashtra and UP. The girl in question doesn't have any history of travel, the minister said.

The government is maintaining caution and necessary instructions have been given to surveillance (Health department) officials in Raichur and neighbouring districts, he said.

The disease spreads through the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito, which is also known to transmit infections like Dengue and Chikungunya.

The virus was first identified in Uganda in 1947.