…As 22 Zika Virus cases in India, no deaths reported***

The managing director of Shell Petroleum Development Company, Mr Osagie Okunbor, and two others have been sentenced to three months in prison with hard labour by a Port Harcourt High Court.

Others also sentenced to three months in prison with hard labour in contempt proceedings were Shell’s secretary and head of legal, Nike Oyinlola and the deputy country head of legal/managing counsel global litigation sub-Sahara Africa, Keibi Atemie.

The presiding judge, George Omeriji, has directed the Nigerian Police Force and other law enforcement to effect immediate arrest of the aforementioned Shell officials who were absent in court and send them to prison.

In the meantime, India has reported its third Zika virus outbreak in the Western State of Rajasthan since January 2017, where 22 people have tested positive and no death were reported Tuesday.

“Till date, a total of 22 positive laboratory confirmed cases have been detected. A control room has been activated at the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to undertake regular monitoring of the situation,’’ the Indian Health Ministry said in a statement.

A senior official said all the 22 cases are from state capital Jaipur. “Some of these victims are migrant workers from eastern states like Bihar. Fortunately, there have been no reports of any deaths till now,’’ he added.

Our reporter gathered that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sought a report on the Zika virus outbreak in Rajasthan.

Zika virus disease is spread by daytime-active Aedes mosquitoes.

Its symptoms include fever, skin rashes, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain, and headache.

The first outbreak of Zika was reported in India in January 2017 in the western state of Gujarat, while the second outbreak was reported in the southern state of Tamil Nadu in July 2017; both of them were contained.

Guardian NG with additional report from The Nation