After Kerala has reported dozens of Zika virus cases, an expert has warned that the mosquito-borne disease has more grave concerns than the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), according to news agency ANI. Dr Naresh Gupta, director and professor at Maulana Azad Medical College, told ANI that detailed lab analysis is extremely important as Zika is something that is occurring in local outbreaks.
"Zika is a virus of grave concern. Zika virus is something that is occurring in local outbreaks. So, I think if it's occurring in a given state or place, sentinel surveillance must have picked up these cases," he said.
On Thursday, the health ministry of Kerala said that five more people have tested positive for the Zika virus, taking the overall number to 28. The fresh cases from Thiruvananthapuram were confirmed after the samples were tested at the National Institute of Virology’s regional centre in Alapuzha. The rising cases of the Zika virus prompted the state health minister to call an emergency meeting of officials on Thursday afternoon to discuss the health issue.
Zika virus spreads mostly by the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito, the same that transmit dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever. While Dr Gupta, citing the local nature of the outbreak, said that the vector-borne disease has greater concern than Covid-19, many other medical experts have downplayed the concern saying it can be checked with effective vector control measures.
The first case of Zika was reported in Kerala after a 24-year-old pregnant woman sought treatment late last month with symptoms like fever, headache, and red marks on the skin, leading to the detection of the virus. Meanwhile, Kerala authorities have started a vector control programme and fogging to control the outbreak.
{{/usCountry}}The first case of Zika was reported in Kerala after a 24-year-old pregnant woman sought treatment late last month with symptoms like fever, headache, and red marks on the skin, leading to the detection of the virus. Meanwhile, Kerala authorities have started a vector control programme and fogging to control the outbreak.
{{/usCountry}}According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), severe disease requiring hospitalisation is uncommon, and deaths are rare. The incubation period of Zika virus disease is estimated to be 3–14 days and the symptoms typically last for 2–7 days. There is no specific treatment or vaccine for the Zika virus and the development of the Zika vaccine remains an active area of research.
(With ANI inputs)