New Delhi: The number of Zika virus cases has crossed 100 in Rajasthan after six more people tested positive for Zika virus in Jaipur on Sunday, taking the total number of such cases to 123, a government official said.

Of the 123 patients, around 105 have recovered after treatment, he said.

The state health department also formed a five-member committee on Saturday to investigate, examine and track Zika virus disease in pregnant patients of the first trimester. The committee will submit the report to the director of public health from time to time, an order said.

Most of the cases which have been reported are from Shastri Nagar area here where fogging and other anti-larvae activities are being carried out to prevent the spread of the virus.

The virus, transmitted through the aedes aegypti mosquito, causes fever, skin rashes, conjunctivitis, muscle, and joint pain. It is harmful to pregnant women, as it can lead to microcephaly, a condition in which a baby's head is significantly smaller in newborns.

The World Health Organization says that the first case in India was reported from Ahmedabad in the western state of Gujarat in January 2017.

The second was reported in Tamil Nadu's Krishnagiri district in July that year. Both these outbreaks were successfully contained through intensive surveillance and vector management.

The disease is under surveillance of the Union Health Ministry although it is no longer a Public Health Emergency of International Concern under WHO notification since November 18, 2016. The disease has been linked to birth deformities in some cases.

The WHO says Zika has been reported in 86 countries.

With the rising number of Zika virus cases in Rajasthan, an alert has been sounded in Uttar Pradesh.

Director, communicable diseases (UP), Dr Mithilesh Chaturvedi, said there was a need to keep a strict watch on people suffering from fever. He has alerted the Airport Authority of India (AAI) to take preventive measures at Lucknow airport and other airports in the state.

With agency inputs