Tamil Nadu has intensified checking at its border with Kerala after cases of Zika virus emerged in the southern state. Tight vigil is being maintained at 14 strategic points and checkposts at Walayar and Meenakshipuram, and vehicle checking intensified. An e-pass has been made mandatory for people going from Kerala to Tamil Nadu.
The districts in Karnataka, which border Kerala, have been asked to step up the vigil. The Karnataka health department has also instructed officials to intensify vector control measures in the state.
Kerala has so far reported 15 cases of Zika virus, with chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan saying that his government will strengthen vector control units at the district and state level.
The central government has sent a team of experts to Kerala after the outbreak was reported. According to joint secretary (health ministry) Lav Agarwal, the six-member team includes vector-borne disease experts and doctors from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).
The Aedes aegypti variety of the mosquito, which is a vector of Dengue, Chikungunya causes the Zika Virus Disease (ZVD). Symptoms include fever, rashes, conjunctivitis and joint pain. However, few people die from the Zika Virus Disease and only one in five develops symptoms.