In the fight against the second wave of Covid-19, Kerala now has an added concern as the State reports 14 cases of the Zika virus. Joint Health Minister Lav Agarwal said Friday that the union’s Ministry of Health is closely monitoring the situation in Kerala and has dispatched a six-person team to assist the state government.
Speaking at a health ministry press conference on Friday, Lav Agarwal said, “Some Zika cases have been reported from Kerala. To monitor the situation and assist the state government, a six-person team of public health experts has set up vector-borne disease” experts and clinicians from AIIMS already instructed to get there and support the state government in managing Zika there. “
The National Institute of Virology has discovered 14 cases of the Zika virus, including a 24 year old pregnant woman who was first diagnosed on Thursday.
Kerala Minister of Health Veena George said: “The Department of Health and county authorities are addressing the issue and have taken action by collecting samples of the Aedes mosquitoes that they bite on humans. All districts have been informed “and measures have started.”
WHAT IS ZIKA VIRUS?
The Zika virus is a mosquito-borne flavivirus that was first detected in monkeys in Uganda in 1947. It was later identified in humans in 1952 in Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania. Zika virus outbreaks have been recorded in Africa, America, Asia and the Pacific. From the 1960s to 1980s, rare sporadic cases of human infections were found in Africa and Asia.
A major outbreak in Brazil in 2015 showed that if pregnant women were infected, it could lead to serious birth defects.
WHEN WAS IT FIRST DISCOVERED IN INDIA?
The first cases of the Zika virus occurred in India in May 2017. Three cases of the Zika virus have been reported, two of which were pregnant women who eventually gave birth to healthy babies.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?
Symptoms of Zika are similar to dengue fever and include fever, rashes, and joint pain. The virus is mainly transmitted by mosquito bites from Aedes species. Aedes mosquitoes bite during the day and are responsible for transmitting dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever.
AFFECTED PREGNANT WOMEN
Zika virus has also been linked to other pregnancy complications, including premature delivery and miscarriage. The virus can be transmitted to her fetus from a pregnant woman.
ALSO READ: More than half of the country’s total Covid cases from Kerala, Maharashtra: Ministry of Health
It results in microcephaly (smaller than normal head size) and other congenital malformations in the infant, collectively known as congenital Zika syndrome.
SEXUALLY TRANSFERABLE
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people infected with the Zika virus can also transmit the disease to their sexual partners.
The World Health Organization suggests that for regions with active transmission of Zika virus, all people with Zika virus infection and their sexual partners (especially pregnant women) should be informed about the risks of sexual transmission of Zika virus.
WHO recommends that sexually active men and women be given proper advice and a full range of contraceptive methods to help them make an informed decision about whether and when to get pregnant in order to prevent possible undesirable pregnancy and fetal outcomes.
ALSO READ: Two cases of the kappa variant of Covid-19 discovered in Uttar Pradesh detected
In addition, WHO suggests that women who have had unprotected sex and who do not wish to become pregnant because of concerns about infection with the Zika virus have easy access to emergency contraception services and counseling. Pregnant women should practice safe sex (including the correct and consistent use of condoms) or at least avoid sexual activity throughout pregnancy.
For regions with no active Zika virus transmission, WHO recommends practicing safer sex or abstinence for six months for men and two months for women returning from active Zika virus transmission areas to prevent the transmission of infections to their sexual partners.
PREVENTION
Protection against mosquito bites during the day and early evening is an important measure to prevent infection with the Zika virus. Particular attention should be paid to the prevention of mosquito bites in pregnant women, women of childbearing age and young children, according to the WHO.
Personal protective measures include wearing clothing, using physical barriers such as window bars and closed doors and windows, and applying insect repellent to the skin.
In addition, the WHO advises young children and pregnant women to sleep under mosquito nets when sleeping during the day or early evening.
ALSO READ: Kerala announces further easing and categorizes regions based on Covid positivity rate
Travelers and people living in affected areas should take the basic precautions outlined above to protect themselves from mosquito bites.
Aedes mosquitoes breed in small pools of water. It is important to get rid of these mosquito breeding grounds.
NO ANTI-VIRAL OR VACCINE FOR ZIKA VIRUS
According to the World Health Organization, most people with the Zika virus do not develop symptoms. Only one in five people is likely to show symptoms, studies say. However, if it does, symptoms are likely to last two to seven days.
There is no treatment for the Zika virus infection or the diseases associated with it. According to the WHO, vaccine trials against the Zika virus are ongoing.
एक टिप्पणी भेजें