Rise of Zika virus cases in Kerala

Published: 19th Jul, 2021

Health authorities in Kerala have declared a state of alert in all districts after identifying 14 cases of Zika virus.

Context

Health authorities in Kerala have declared a state of alert in all districts after identifying 14 cases of Zika virus.

About

What is Zika?

Zika virus is a mosquito-borne flavivirus.
The viral infection is transmitted mostly by the bite of infected Aedes species mosquitoes ( aegypti and A. albopictus).
These mosquitoes bite during the day and night.
These are the same mosquitoes that spread dengue and chikungunya viruses.
Zika can be passed from a pregnant woman to her fetus. Infection during pregnancy can cause certain birth defects.
Additionally, it can be transmitted sexually and blood transfusion (very likely but not confirmed).

History of Zika Viurs

Zika virus was first discovered in 1947 and is named after the Zika Forest in Uganda.
In 1952, the first human cases of Zika were detected.
Since then, outbreaks of Zika have been reported in tropical Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands.
In 2015, a major outbreak in Brazil led to the revelation that Zika can be associated with microcephaly, a condition in which babies are born with small and underdeveloped brains.
WHO declared the Zika infection with clusters of microcephaly and other neurological disorders as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

Passage to India

Zika symptoms

Many people infected with Zika virus won’t have symptoms or will only have mild symptoms.
Zika infection during pregnancy can cause a birth defect of the brain called microcephaly and other severe brain defects.
It is also linked to other problems, such as miscarriage, stillbirth, and other birth defects.
There have also been increased reports of Guillain-Barré syndrome, an uncommon sickness of the nervous system, in areas affected by Zika.

Treatment

There is no specific medicine or vaccine for Zika virus.
But the symptoms are managed which includes rest, consumption of plenty of fluids, common pain and fever medicines, etc.

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