Kanpur Zika Virus patient now stable, samples of 22 contacts test negative

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The Zika virus patient in Kanpur is under treatment but is now stable; samples of the 22 people who were in contact with him, resulted negative for this disease, said officials.

This 57-year-old man had tested positive for Zika virus on October 22. This prompted the Centre to send a high-level multi-disciplinary team of medical experts to Kanpur.

Kanpur Division Commissioner Raj Shekhar said, “One case of Zika virus infection was found in the Pokharpur village of Jajmau area here a few days back. It was diagnosed at the Air Force Hospital, Kanpur.”

He said that, immediately, administration and Health Department took measures, and on Tuesday he visited the area with health officials, reviewing the situation. He said, “As on date, only one case of Zika virus is reported in Kanpur. Treatment of the patient is going on at the Air Force station hospital and the patient is stable.”

He added, “The Health Department has collected samples of 22 other persons who are family members or close contacts. But all the samples were found negative for the virus.” The senior IAS officer said two expert teams - one from the Centre and another from the UP government -- are in Kanpur and working on the case.

Expert teams have collected mosquitoes from sites which will be sent to National Malaria Research Institute / NMRI in New Delhi, for DNA testing in 1-2 days.