2 more Zika virus cases in Kerala, tally rises to 23

A total of four people in Kerala were tested positive for Zika virus. With this, the total number of cases has gone up to 23.

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala): By the end of Tuesday, Kerala recorded two more cases of Zika virus. A doctor working in a private hospital and a 16-year-old girl are among the total four people infected with the virus on Tuesday. Two cases of Zika virus were reported earlier on Tuesday. With these, the total cases of Zika virus in the state have gone up to 23, according to state Health Minister Veena George. The first case of the virus was confirmed in Kerala on July 9. A high alert has been flagged in all districts regarding the mosquito-borne virus.

Kerala recorded its first case of Zika virus a few days ago with a 24-year-old pregnant woman testing positive for the mosquito-transmitted disease. Soon, Pune's National Institute of Virology (NIV), which tested the woman's samples, confirmed that 13 more people from Kerala were tested positive for the virus.

Zika virus disease is caused by a virus transmitted primarily by Aedes mosquitoes, which bite during the day. Symptoms are generally mild and include fever, rash, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain, malaise or headache and they typically last for two–seven days. Most people with Zika virus infection do not develop symptoms, according to the World Health Organisation.