Following incidences of dreaded Zika virus in some parts of the country, the State Health Department has gone on an alert mode to combat the disease.

Though no case of the disease has been reported from anywhere in Uttarakhand the health authorities here have sounded an alert on the disease which so far has afflicted 22 patients in Rajasthan.

Wary of the prospects of further spread of the virus of the disease, the Union Health Ministry has issued an advisory to the States to initiate extensive drive to combat the disease.

The Director General (DG) health services, Dr T C Pant said while talking to The Pioneer that the department has sounded an alert on the disease.

He said that all the Chief Medical Officers (CMO) of the districts have been asked to step up vigilance for the disease.

Dr Pant added that though no case of the disease has been reported the department is taking no chances. “We are ready to combat Zika,” he affirmed.

Zika is a dreaded vector- borne- disease spread by Aedes Aegypti mosquito popularly called Tiger mosquito due to stripes on its body. The symptoms of the disease are similar to dengue and they include high fever, rashes on body, joint and muscle pain.

From the pregnant women, the virus can spread to the unborn baby and can result in microcephaly (a condition where children are born with very small head) and severe brain malformations. The pregnant women are advised by the medical experts not to travel to the areas where incidences of the disease are high.

The doctors insist that source reduction of mosquito and measures taken to prevent mosquito bite are most important steps to combat the disease.