Zika virus alert for Bihar after Siwan youth in Jaipur tests positive
Bihar, Oct 07: The Centre on Sunday sounded an alert to Bihar after a youth from Siwan, studying in Jaipur, tested positive for Zika virus.
The youth, Pankaj Chourasia, 22, a student of computer science in Jaipur, tested positive for the virus recently. He was in Siwan between August 28 and September 12 to appear for an examination.
“The central surveillance unit of the ministry of health and family welfare (MoH&FW) notified us today about the Zika-positive patient who had visited Bihar,” said state epidemiologist Dr Ragini Mishra of the State Health Society, Bihar.
Based on the Centre’s alert, the Bihar health department immediately dispatched a team to Siwan on Sunday to undertake surveillance of all the eight family members of Chourasia residing at Hariarpur village under Lalgarh health sub-centre, which is attached to the Barhariya primary health centre in Siwan, she said.
“None of Chourasia’s family members showed symptoms of Zika virus. However, we are careful as one of the family members is pregnant. Zika can be passed from a pregnant woman to her foetus. Infection during pregnancy can cause certain birth defects. They will be kept under surveillance for the next 26 days, which is double the 13-day incubation period for the Zika virus,” Dr Mishra said.
She said it was unlikely that Chourasia would have contracted the virus in Bihar.
“Zika virus has a 13-day incubation period. The youth left Bihar on September 12. So it is unlikely that he would have contracted the virus in Bihar. Our only worry is that Siwan is affected by dengue, caused by the Ades Aegypti mosquito, which also spreads Zika. So, we want to be cautious and guard against underreporting of Zika,” Dr Mishra said.
Not wanting to take any chances, Bihar has sounded an alert and issued an advisory to all its 38 districts.
“We have asked all our districts to report cases of fever and microcephaly (abnormal smallness of the head, a congenital condition associated with incomplete brain development, usually transmitted from a pregnant woman to her foetus). They have been told to send all such samples to the viral research and diagnostic laboratories for confirmatory tests of rare virus strains like Zika,” the health official said.
Courtesy: www.hindustantimes.com
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
