With two more testing positive for Zika virus, Kerala now has 21 positive cases

Thiruvananthapuram, July 13: The total number of Zika virus cases in Kerala has increased to 21 with two more patients testing positive for the disease. The two new patients are 35-year-old and 41-year-old.

On Tuesday, Kerala Health Minister Veena George said, "Two more people in the state have been diagnosed with the Zika virus. A 35-year-old resident of Poonthura and a 41-year-old resident of Sasthamangalam (have tested positive). With this, 21 Zika virus cases have been confirmed in the state."

A 73-year-old woman had tested positive for Zika virus on Monday. The woman was under treatment at a private hospital in Coimbatore.

The minister had said yesterday that another five samples sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) at Alappuzha had returned negative for the Zika virus.

Earlier, Kerala authorities had confirmed that three more people, including a toddler, had contracted Zika virus.

The Pinarayi Vijayan government has already secured 2,100 test kits for Zika virus and these will be used at four medical colleges in the state. These testing facilities are located at Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur and Kozhikode Medical colleges and at NIV, Alappuzha.

The government has instructed hospitals in the state to test those patients, especially pregnant women, who have fever, rashes and body pain.

The Zika virus cases in Kerala have come at a time when the state is continuing to report a high number of COVID-19 cases.