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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Two held for assaulting policemen over drinking in public
Bengaluru (PTI): Two police personnel on patrolling duty were allegedly abused and assaulted by a group of four youths after being asked not to consume alcohol in a public place, police said on Wednesday.
Two of the accused -- an engineering student and a software engineer, both in their 20s -- have been arrested in the case, they said.
Efforts are being made to nab the other two suspects, who have been identified, police added.
The incident occurred in the early hours of May 1, when the two personnel, attached to Amrutahalli police station, were patrolling on a two-wheeler near Akashavani Layout, they said.
According to police, while patrolling around 3 am, they noticed four youths who had stopped their car on the road and were consuming alcohol. When they were told to leave, as drinking alcohol in a public place is not permitted, one among them suddenly started abusing them.
When the policemen attempted to take out their lathi from the vehicle, the youths allegedly caught hold of them from behind, grabbed and dragged them, and tore one of their uniforms, the FIR stated.
They assaulted them with their hands and with rings worn, causing injuries to their faces. They also kicked them, causing pain, it said.
Thereafter, the accused allegedly snatched the key of their vehicle, pushed them to the ground, and fled the scene in their car at high speed, police said.
The policemen then immediately went to a hospital for treatment and lodged a complaint against four unknown youths, following which an FIR was registered against them under Sections 121(1) (voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt to deter a public servant from duty), 132 (assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharge of duty), 304 (snatching), and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
"We have arrested two people in the case and efforts are being made to nab the other two suspects who have been identified," a senior police officer said.
