Health authorities have declared a state of alert in Kerala, India after 14 cases of Zika virus were detected. A six-member central team of experts has also been dispatched to Kerala to get a grip on the emerging Zika virus situation in the state, stated the Union Health Ministry on July 9, 2021.
Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Health Ministry during a press conference said, “There are some Zika cases which have been reported from Kerala. A six-member team of vector-borne disease experts, public health experts, and clinicians from AIIMS have been sent out to Kerala to manage the Zika virus.”
Zika virus cases reported in Kerala
•The first case of the Zika virus in Kerala was reported on July 8, 2021, when a 24-years old pregnant woman with complaints of fever, headache, and rashes was admitted to a hospital in Thiruvananthapuram.
•On July 8, 2021, samples of 13 more Zika virus cases in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, were sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) that reported confirmation of Zika virus in Kerala.
•The total number of Zika virus cases in Kerala stands at 14, including the first case of 24-years old pregnant woman.
What is Zika virus?
•As per the World Health Organization (WHO), the Zika virus is a mosquito-borne flavivirus that was first detected in monkeys in Uganda in 1947. Later, the virus was detected in humans in Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania in 1952.
•The Zika virus has been associated with a rare auto-immune disease known as Guillain-Barre syndrome and shrunken brains in children.
•There is no treatment as of now for the Zika virus.
How does Zika virus spread?
•Zika virus is spread by the bite of an infected Aedes species of mosquitos (Aedes aegypti). The Aedes species of mosquitos usually bite during the early hours of the day and late evening hours. This is the same species of mosquitos that are the carriers of dengue, yellow fever, and chikunguniya.
•Zika virus can also transmit from pregnant woman to her fetus, or transfusion of blood, or through sexual contacts, or organ transplant.
Zika virus: Symptoms
•It usually takes around 3 to 14 days for the symptoms to show up from the time of being bitten. Most people do not develop symptoms, one in five people infected show symptoms.
•The symptoms of the Zika virus include fever, headache, rashes, joint and muscle pain, malaise, conjunctivitis. The symptoms last for approximately 2 to 7 days.
Zika virus: Previous outbreaks in India
•India had earlier in 2016-17 reported a Zika virus outbreak in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.