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India's Kerala State reports 14 cases of Zika Virus

According to the BBC, Health authorities in the Indian state of Kerala have declared a state of alert in all districts after identifying 14 cases of Zika virus.
Kerala Health Minister Veena George confirmed the infections in Trivandrum (now Thiruvananthapuram) district.
India reported a Zika outbreak in the western state of Gujarat in 2016-17.
The mosquito-borne virus has been linked to shrunken brains in children and a rare auto-immune disease called Guillain-Barre syndrome.
Although the virus is mostly spread by mosquitoes, it can also be sexually transmitted.
All new cases have been reported among healthcare workers in the district.
Ms George said in a statement that the first identified patient of the virus was a 24-year-old pregnant woman from a town bordering the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu.
She was admitted in the capital city of Trivandrum on 28 June with fever, headache and rashes. She delivered a baby on Wednesday.
"Her condition is stable. The delivery was normal. She has no travel history outside the state," Ms George said.
The ongoing monsoon rains have turned the affected areas into "breeding ground for the mosquitoes", she told reporters on Friday.
Kerala health secretary Dr Rajan Khobragade told the BBC that the government had sent teams for "strong surveillance in outbreak areas", making people aware of the disease; following up with pregnant mothers; and counselling couples.
Kerala is battling a continuing second wave of Covid-19 infections with the test positivity rate remaining over 10% for the past seven days. India's first case of coronavirus infection was also reported from the state in January 2020.
Zika virus was first isolated from monkeys living in the Zika jungle of Uganda in 1947. It was only formally described as a distinct virus in 1952.
But the researchers discovered that "significant numbers" of people in India had been exposed to the virus since a total of 33 of the 196 tested for the new disease had immunity.
"It therefore seems certain that Zika virus attacks human beings in India," they concluded in a paper published in 1953.
In 2016 and 2017, the western state of Gujarat reported cases of the Zika virus from the city of Ahmedabad.
Source: BBC
Image source: SPL-BBC
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BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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