Doctor, two others test positive for Zika virus in Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram, July 13

A doctor of a private hospital here tested positive for Zika virus besides two others on Tuesday, taking the total number of infections in the state to 22.

A Coimbatore-based lab confirmed that the 38-year-old doctor was infected with the virusafter testing his samples, health minister Veena George said here.

Two more persons, including a woman, tested positive earlier in the day.The affected persons were identified as a35-year-old man, hailing from nearby Poonthura and a 41-year-old woman, native of Sashtamangalam here, the minister said.

The samples were tested at the virology lab in the government medical college here and at the Coimbatore-based laboratory respectively.

The minister urged people to be vigilant as the number of those testing positive for Zika virus has increased in the State.

The testing for Zika virus began at the government medical college here on Monday, she said, adding that 15 samples had been tested on the initial day.

One of the persons, whose sample was tested, was found positive for dengue and all the other 13 samples tested negative for any virus, the minister said. — PTI