Tamil Nadu reports first Zika virus from Krishnagiri district

Chennai: The first case of Zika virus in Tamil Nadu has been reported from Krishnagiri district and the 27-year-old infected man fully cured, a senior state government official said.

Laboratory tests done in state facilities confirmed the presence of Zika early this month, the official said.

Samples were forwarded to the National Institute of Virology in Pune, according to the protocol, too, confirmed it on July 6, he added.

"As part of the government's fever surveillance programme, an individual who had fever and tested negative for other causes of fever, tested positive for Zika," Principal Secretary, Health, J Radhakrishnan told PTI.

He was treated at the primary health care centre in Anjetty at remote Denkanikottai Taluk of Krishnagiri district, he said.

To a question, he said the affected man did not visit any country, but had only visited neighbouring states and that too, three months back.

Radhakrishnan said he and Director of Public Health visited the man at his village yesterday and that he is fully cured now.

The Union Health and Family Welfare ministry had reported three laboratory-confirmed cases of Zika virus in Ahmedabad in May.