Be aware of dangerous Zika virus

In global community, virus is a major concern and health practitioners are paying more attention to curb outbreak of epidemic from deadly viruses. One of the less known virus that may attack India is Zika virus.

Zika virus belongs to the same family of viruses as yellow fever, West Nile, chikungunya and dengue. It first appeared in Africa in the 1940s and has been present in Africa and Asia for over 50 years.

The first eruption in Brazil was in May 2015, and it spread quickly because there was no natural immunity in the province. Health reports indicated that Brazil has reported approximately 4,000 cases of microcephaly in babies born to females who were infected with the virus during their pregnancies.

Zika is spread mainly through the Aedes mosquito, but in some cases, it can be transmitted through labour, blood transfusions, lab exposure and sexual contact. Person who has voyaged to a nation with an epidemic of the virus is at high risk of this virus.

This virus is transmitted when the Aedes mosquito bites a person with an active infection and then spreads the virus by biting others. Those people then become carriers during the time they have symptoms. 

Research of the Centre for Disease and Control showed that these mosquitoes normally lay eggs in and near standing water in things like buckets, bowls, animal dishes, flower pots and vases. Mosquitoes become infected when they feed on a person already infected with the virus. Infected mosquitoes can then spread the virus to other people through bites.

It is also said that a mother already infected with Zika virus during pregnancy can transmit the virus to her new-born around the time of birth, but this is rare.

Symptoms:

The most common symptoms of Zika virus disease are as under:

• v Fever
• v Rash
• v Joint pain
• v Conjunctivitis (red eyes)

The illness is usually mild with symptoms lasting from several days to a week

Diagnosis: 

Zika virus can be diagnosed through PCR (polymerase chain reaction) and virus isolation from blood samples. Diagnosis by serology can be difficult as the virus can cross-react with other flaviviruses such as dengue, West Nile and yellow fever.

Treatment: 

It is highly discouraging that there is no vaccine to protect from the disease and no medicine to treat for zika infection.  Doctors recommend that if a person is infected with Zika virus and exhibit symptoms of fever must take medicines, such as acetaminophen or paracetamol, to relieve fever and pain and immediately consult physicians. The best treatment for Zika virus is prevention.

Preventive measures:

People can take preventive action to protect from this disease. It is necessary to adopt preventive measure when they are traveling to countries where Zika virus or other viruses spread by mosquitoes are found.

Preventive actions are as under:

1. Use insect repellents. When people use it as directed, insect repellents are safe and effective for everyone, including pregnant and nursing women.

Most insect repellents can be used on children.  Do not use products containing oil of lemon eucalyptus in children under the age of three years.

2. If people use both sunscreen and insect repellent, apply the sunscreen first and then the repellent.

3. It is not recommended to spray insect repellent on the skin under clothing.

4. Treat clothing with permethrin or purchase permethrin-treated clothing.

5. Always follow the label instructions when using insect repellent or sunscreen.

In India, Zika virus has not knocked yet but there are chances of transmission of this virus. Health ministry in India is fully prepared to curb Zika virus. Testing kits are ready if anybody is infected in India.  It is always better to create wakefulness for the virus and clean environment to avert from such deadly viruses that are life threatening.