Seven more staffers of Thalassery court test positive for Zika virus

Kannur: Seven more staffers of the district court in Thalassery tested positive for Zika Virus on Saturday. 

With this, the total number of cases has increased to eight. For the last few days, authorities were baffled by the mysterious illness that affected judges, advocates and staff working in the district court. Later, Alappuzha Virology Institute confirmed the presence of the virus based on the samples collected from staff. 

Zika virus is spread by the Aedes Aegypte mosquitoes, which causes dengue and Chikungunya. The public health authorities have started an anti-mosquito drive in and around the court premises.

Three courts situated within the District Court complex remain closed for two days due to various health conditions exhibited by staff, lawyers, and judges. Staff members were suffering from a variety of health conditions, including headaches, sore eyes, joint pains, red eyes, and others.

Based on the direction of the district judge, a medical camp was held at the court. The staff members stated that they had been dealing with the problem for the past two weeks.