Zika Outbreak in India

Why in news?

In India first large outbreak of Zika virus is reported in Jaipur with 80 victims.

What is Zika?

• Zika is a viral infection, spread by mosquitoes, the vector is the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which also spreads dengue and chikungunya.
• Additionally, infected people can transmit Zika sexually.
• Most people infected with the virus do not develop symptoms, the symptoms are similar to those of flu, including fever body ache, headache etc.
• According to WHO these symptoms can be treated with common pain and fever medicines, rest and plenty of water.
• Additional symptoms can include the occasional rash like in dengue, while some patients also have conjunctivitis.
• The incubation period (the time from exposure to symptoms) of Zika virus disease is estimated to be 3-14 days.
• Precautions are generally the same as for other dengue use mosquito nets and repellents apart from taking steps to prevent sexual transmission.

 How dangerous is Zika?

• Fears around Zika primarily involve microcephaly, especially when pregnant women are infected.
• Microcephaly is a condition in which babies are born with small and underdeveloped brains.
• Generally, the virus is not considered dangerous to anyone other than pregnant women.
• Some countries that have had a Zika outbreak, including Brazil, reported a steep increase in Guillain-Barré syndrome — a neurological disorder that could lead to paralysis and death, according to WHO.
• In 2017, following a study on Brazil’s confirmed cases, the US National Institutes of Health study estimated the fatality rate at 8.3%.

What is the incidence of Zika in India?

• In 2017, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare-Government of India (MoHFW) reported three laboratory-confirmed cases of Zika virus disease in Bapunagar area, Ahmedabad District, Gujarat State, India.
• Recently 80 cases reported since September 23 have been concentrated in parts of Jaipur.

What measures are taken to address the recent outbreak?

• Rajasthan government has deployed 330 and checked 4.34 lakh people and over 2.04 lakh breeding sites, of which over 74,000 were found to have mosquito larvae.
• Apart from this the state government is doing house-to-house surveys, and noting the number of pregnant women in each house in affected areas.
• The Rajasthan Health Department has advised people in the affected areas to stay indoors.

Source: Indian Express