- In Pune, Maharashtra, 15 cases, including eight pregnant women of Zika reported. In Karnataka, A person with Zika died, another suspected case is under investigation.
- Union Health Ministry: Advised states to be vigilant, screen pregnant women, and strengthen entomological surveillance and vector-control activities.
- Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) recommended increased testing for Zika, including patients with chikungunya and dengue-like symptoms who test negative for these infections.
What is the Zika Virus?
- Zika is a mosquito-borne virus first identified in Uganda in 1947, primarily transmitted by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which also spread dengue and chikungunya. It can also be transmitted sexually, from mother to fetus, and through blood transfusions.
- Most infected individuals are asymptomatic.
- Symptoms, if they occur, typically start 3–14 days after infection and include rash, fever, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain, and headache, lasting 2–7 days.
- Diagnosis is based on symptoms and confirmed through laboratory tests. However, there are gaps in diagnostic capabilities in India, with samples sent to select labs like the National Institute of Virology, causing delays.
- Zika infection during pregnancy can cause microcephaly and other congenital malformations, preterm births, and miscarriages.
- It is also associated with Guillain-Barré syndrome, neuropathy, and myelitis in adults and children.
Vaccine Development:
- There is currently no vaccine for Zika virus infection.
- Research is ongoing, with promising results from Bharat Biotech’s “killed Zika virus vaccine,” which showed 100% efficacy in animal studies.
- Indian Immunologicals Limited is also working on developing a vaccine.
Dig Deeper: Read about Microcephaly and Guillain-Barre syndrome.
