News Highlights
Scientists at the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, have raised an alarm about the spread of the Zika virus along with dengue and chikungunya
Focus Points
- Scientists have called for urgent strengthening of surveillance, after the circulation of Zika virus was detected in Delhi, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Punjab, and Telangana in 2021, in addition to Kerala, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh
- Previous Cases of Study
- Previously, sporadic cases reported from Gujarat (2016-17), Tamil Nadu (2017), Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan (2018).
Study Across India on Zika
- For their study, a total of 1,520 clinical samples that include serum (1,253), plasma (99), whole blood (120), and urine (48) collected from 1,475 patients across 16 viral research and diagnostic laboratories (VRDLs). The study area include
- Delhi, Kerala, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Telangana, Assam, Jharkhand, and Bihar
Zika virus Diseases
- Origin
- 1947 – First identified in Uganda in monkeys.
- 1952 – identified in humans in Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania.
- Type of Virus
- Zika virus is a mosquito-borne flavivirus
- Transmission
- Transmitted primarily by Aedes mosquitoes (AM)
- Other Mode of Transmission – Additionally, the zika virus can be transmitted from mother to foetus during pregnancy , sexual contact, blood and blood product transfusions, and organ transplants.
- Symptoms
- Common Symptoms – Fever, rash, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain, malaise or headache
- Medicine
- There is no vaccine or medicine for Zika.
Mosquitos and Associated Diseases
Pic Courtesy: The Hindu
Content Source – The Hindu