NEW DELHI, July 10: Fourteen cases of zika virus infection have been confirmed
in Kerala till Friday. The State has been put on alert. The first case of these
was of a pregnant woman (24) in Thiruvananthapuram, who delivered of her baby
on July 7. The patient is reportedly recovering and the baby is normal. Most
of the cases were from the district.
The Centre has despatched a six-member medical team to investigate the zika
incidence and monitor the situation there. "There are some Zika cases which
have been reported from Kerala. To monitor the situation and to support the
state government, a six-member team comprising public health experts, vector-borne
disease experts and clinicians from AIIMS has already been issued instructions
to reach there and support the state government in terms of management of Zika
there," Joint Secretary in the Ministry Lav Agarwal told reporters on Friday.
Zika, a mosquito-borne flavivirus (RNA), mostly spreads through the bite of
the Aedes Aegypti mosquito and shows symptoms of dengue. Aedes mosquito also
spreads dengue, yellow fever and chikungunya. Zika is generally non-fatal but
causes deformities in fetus when pregnant women are infected.
One gets the infection when a mosquito, after biting an infected person, bites
him. Earlier it was prevalent only in Africa. Through human fluid like blood
also the infection can take place, according to US CDC.
Zika, like other arbovirus infections, causes symptoms like fever, rash, joint
pain and redness in the eye which appear in 3 to 14 days of a mosquito bite
and last a week. However, only 1 in 5 people exhibit symptoms but all of them,
like in covid, can transmit. If ever one visited an area where zika prevails,
or have symptoms, one must go for a test, especially pregnant women because
it will lead to congenital zika syndromes in babies (microcephaly). In some
developed countries, prenatal investigation also covers zika testing. Of course,
once infected, the victim develops immunity.
The infection runs for a week. There is no specific medicine or vaccine except
symptomatic treatment. Aspirin should not be taken unless it is confirmed that
the case is not dengue as it can dangerously aggravate bleeding in dengue patients.
Take plenty of fluids. Rest is essential.
If one happens to be in areas suspected of zika prevalence, have mosquito repellent
and wear full sleeved shirt and full trousers during day time. Sunscreen is useful
only as a primary.
Meanwhile, the Karnataka Government's health department has intensified surveillance
through Asha workes and health assistanrts at the border districts of Dakshina
Kannada, Udupi and Chamarajanagar as “the current monsoon season supports the
widespread proliferation of the Aedes mosquito, which is a vector for the Zika
virus.”
