Zika Virus in India: Here’s What You Need to Know About It
A man in Tamil Nadu has tested positive for Zika.
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The Health Ministry on October 8, 2018 confirmed 22 cases of Zika virus in Rajasthan, stressing that precautionary measures are being taken by the Centre followed by daily monitoring.
"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," said the ministry in a statement.
Earlier, in September 2018, an 85-year-old woman in Jaipur tested positive for the mosquito-borne Zika virus, the first such case in Rajasthan. The woman was admitted to the Sawai Man Singh hospital with joint pain, redness in eyes and weakness but she tested negative for dengue and swine flu.
Samples were sent to the National Institute of Virology in Pune for a test of Zika virus and the report came out positive, principal of the SMS medical college Dr US Agrawal said on Sunday.
"I believe this is the first case of Zika virus in the state," he added.
Here’s all you need to know about the virus.
Q) How does the virus spread?
A) It is spread to people mainly through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito; the same one that causes dengue.
Q) How long can the virus stay in the body?
A) If infected, Zika virus usually remains in the blood of an infected person for about a week.
Q) What are the symptoms of Zika?
A) Remember this is not usually a life threatening illness with only 1 in 5 infected people showing symptoms of disease. Common symptoms include fever, rash, joint pain, or red eyes. They typically begin 2 to 7 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito. Most people never need to be admitted and deaths due to this virus are very rare.
Q) Why has Zika become a part of our Lexicon?
A) The latest country to report cases of Zika is India. These patients were all from Ahmedabad, according to the World Health Organisation.
Zika has been around for decades. However there has been an increase in the number of babies in south and central America have been born with a small skull, a condition called“microcephaly”. Though not conclusively proven, it is STRONGLY SUSPECTED pregnant women with Zika might give birth to babies with abnormally small heads, which has set off a worldwide scare.
Q) What can we do to prevent being infected by the virus?
A) If you are traveling countries that have reported cases of Zika, take precautions against mosquito bites. Currently there is no vaccine, so till one is developed, prevention is truly better than cure.
Q) Treatment for Zika?
A) There is no specific treatment for the virus. Doctors advice rest and relaxation. Keep hydrated, take medicines like paracetemol to help reduce fever and pain.
Zika has been around for decades, but it has never spread at such a large-scale before; scientists are just beginning to understand it fully. The consequences might be a hype or could be understated – whatever it is, since there is no treatment, no cure, and no vaccine, you better keep a repellent handy. Be aware, be prepared, not scared!
A 27-year-old person has tested positive for Zika virus in Tamil Nadu. The state health secretary confirmed the report and said the patient is doing fine. Approximately, 200 suspected cases of the virus were tested at King Institute of Preventive Medicine and Research, Chennai, and this is the first one that has tested positive.
In May this year, three cases of Zika virus were reported to the World Health Organisation. The cases were detected in Ahmedabad between November 2016 and February 2017.
Here’s all you need to know about the virus.
Q) How does a person become infected?
A) It is spread to people mainly through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito; the same one that causes dengue.
Q) How long can the virus stay in the body?
A) If infected, Zika virus usually remains in the blood of an infected person for about a week.
Q) What are the symptoms of Zika?
A) Remember this is not usually a life threatening illness with only 1 in 5 infected people showing symptoms of disease. Common symptoms include fever, rash, joint pain, or red eyes. They typically begin 2 to 7 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito. Most people never need to be admitted and deaths due to this virus are very rare.
Q) Why has Zika become a part of our Lexicon?
A) The latest country to report cases of Zika is India. These patients were all from Ahmedabad, according to the World Health Organisation.
Zika has been around for decades. However there has been an increase in the number of babies in south and central America have been born with a small skull, a condition called“microcephaly”. Though not conclusively proven, it is STRONGLY SUSPECTED pregnant women with Zika might give birth to babies with abnormally small heads, which has set off a worldwide scare.
Q) What can we do to prevent being infected by the virus?
A) If you are traveling countries that have reported cases of Zika, take precautions against mosquito bites. Currently there is no vaccine, so till one is developed, prevention is truly better than cure.
Q) Treatment for Zika?
A) There is no specific treatment for the virus. Doctors advice rest and relaxation. Keep hydrated, take medicines like paracetemol to help reduce fever and pain.
Zika has been around for decades, but it has never spread at such a large-scale before; scientists are just beginning to understand it fully. The consequences might be a hype or could be understated – whatever it is, since there is no treatment, no cure, and no vaccine, you better keep a repellent handy. Be aware, be prepared, not scared!
(This article was first published on 22 February 2016. It is being reposted from The Quint’s archives after Tamil Nadu reported the first case of the Zika virus.)
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Published: 22 Feb 2016,08:40 PM IST