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Zika Virus Disease

Context: Recently, Kerala is on alert after detecting its first ever positive case of the Zika virus.

Background of Zika Virus in India

In India, Zika virus was first recorded in 1952-53.
The latest major outbreak was in 2018, when 80 cases were reported in Rajasthan.

About Zika Virus

It is a viral infection which is spread by mosquitoes.
It is a mosquito-borne Flavivirus.
The vector of Zika virus is the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which also spreads dengue and chikungunya.
It was first identified in Uganda in 1947 in monkeys and it was later identified in humans in 1952 in Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania.
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.

Transmission of Zika Virus

The infected people can transmit Zika sexually.
The virus can be passed from a pregnant woman to her fetus and can cause infants to be born with microcephaly and other congenital malformations.

Implication of Zika Virus

The fears around Zika primarily involve microcephaly, especially when pregnant women are infected.
The countries that have had a Zika outbreak, including Brazil, have reported a steep increase in Guillain-Barré syndrome.
It is a neurological disorder that could lead to paralysis and death.
In 2017, following a study on Brazil’s confirmed cases, the US National Institutes of Health study estimated the fatality rate at 8.3 per cent.

Symptoms of Zika Virus

The symptoms are similar to those of flu, including fever bodyache, headache etc.
The 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.

Treatment and Prevention of Zika Virus

It has no treatment or vaccine.
The symptoms of Zika virus are mild and usually require rest, consumption of plenty of fluids, and common pain and fever medicines.
The governments take mosquito control measures such as spraying of pesticides, use of repellents etc. when Zika cases are reported.
There is focus on contraceptives because of the possibility of congenital abnormalities and sexual transmission.
The WHO requires countries to counsel sexually active men and women on the matter to minimise chances of conception at the time of an outbreak.