Thiruvananthapuram: Three more people tested positive for Zika virus in Kerala on Thursday, taking the total reported cases to 45.
The three cases were reported from Thiruvanathapuram-- a 27-year-old resident near the Medical college here, 38-year-old Petta resident and a three-year-old chid from Anayara were found infected with the virus, state Health Minister Veena George said.
"The infection was confirmed in the tests conducted at the medical virology lab here.The total affected in the state has gone up to 45.Currently six persons are under treatment," the minister said in a release.
According to the health department, the patients have not been admitted to hospitals and all of them are stable.
The first instance of a Zika infection being reported outside the state capital was on July 17 from Ernakulam of a health worker who was working in Thiruvananthapuram.
A case reported from Kottayam is also of a health worker who had gone to Thiruvananthapuram to study the Zika virus.
Efforts to eradicate mosquito breeding grounds in the area have also been intensified.
The most common symptoms of the Zika virus are mild fever and edema (swelling caused by excess fluid trapped in the body's tissues). Some people may also experience redness in the eyes, muscle aches and fatigue. Symptoms can last from two to seven days.
(With inputs from PTI)
