The US government's Centre forDiseaseControl and Prevention (CDC) has modified its advisory against travelling toIndiawhich it had issued after zika cases were reported inRajasthanandMadhya Pradesh.

TheIndian Governmenthad urged the US to withdraw or modify its advisory in January by providing evidence of the contained outbreak in the country.

Director GeneralofIndian Council of Medical Research(ICMR) DrBalram Bhargavain his communication also provided data on human and vector surveillance forzika virusdiseaseinIndia.

“The communication was successful in ensuring modification of thetravel advisoryon March 27, 2019. The status ofIndiahas now been changed from 'ongoing outbreak' to 'current or past transmission but no current outbreak'," the ICMR in an official statement said.

It said thezika virusstrainisolated fromRajasthanmatches with the Brazilian zika strain associated with outbreaks, and microcephaly/Congenital Zika Syndrome (CZS) and that the ICMR-NIV Pune has initiated mice/animal studies to understand the potential of this virus to causemicrocephalyor CZS.

"Preliminary reports suggest the absence of one known mutation linked withmicrocephaly.However, further characterization of the strain is required as microcephaly/CZS has several attributable causes," the statement stated.

The ICMR has also initiated a study to understand the outcomes of pregnancy of women infected with zika and also the occurrence of CZS as well as other neurological malformations in their newborns. The study is being rolled out in Rajasthan in first week of April and inBhopalby end of April.

Attempts are also being made to expedite the phase II zika vaccine clinical trials ofBharat Biotech International Ltd.Human surveillance forZika virusdiseasein India will be continued. As of now, no cases ofZika virus diseaseare being reported from any part of the country.

Source: PTI

The Indian Government had urged the US to withdraw or modify its advisory in January by providing evidence of the contained Zika Virus outbreak in the country.