One more tests positive for Zika virus in Kerala, 19 cases in state, five tests negative

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: One more person in the state has tested positive for Zika virus, said Health Minister Veena George. The virus was confirmed on a 73-year-old woman, who was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram. The virus was confirmed in the sample sent from the hospital to the lab in Coimbatore. With this, the virus has been confirmed on 19 people in the state. Meantime, five more samples sent to NIV in Alappuzha have tested negative.

Three including a one-year-old-baby had tested positive for the virus yesterday. The other two are a 49-year-old man and a 29-year-old woman.

The 29-year-old, a health worker is a staff of the same hospital. 13 employees of the hospital had tested positive for the virus. It was confirmed after the samples were sent to the lab in Coimbatore. Three of the eight samples tested positive. The virus was first confirmed on a 24-year-old pregnant woman.