19 Oct 2018

Zika Outbreak, Symptoms and Precautions

Posted in All That Matters By attemptnwin On October 19, 2018

A Zika outbreak, which is considered to be the first largest outbreak in India has been reported from Jaipur, Rajasthan. The state government has taken the best efforts to contain the outbreak caused by Zika virus. It is identified that Zika infection can lead to microcephaly in infants, a condition that causes babies to born with small and underdeveloped brains.

Zika is short lived and an affected person need not worry much unless the person is pregnant. Even then, an understanding of the Zika virus, symptoms of Zika infection and precautions to be taken will help to contain the outbreak in an effective manner.

What is Zika? How Zika infection spreads?

Zika is a viral infection which is spread by the Aedes aegypti category of mosquitoes. The same category of mosquitoes is responsible for spreading dengue and chikungunya. The virus can be spread through blood transfusion. Presence of virus has been identified in urine, tears and saliva of affected persons, but spread through them has not been confirmed so far. Further, Zika virus can also get transmitted during sex by infected people. The virus can stay in semen longer than in blood and hence the World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended that couples abstain from sex for at least six months after a man has been infected with Zika.

How was Zika originated?

The infection was first identified in monkeys in a forest named Zika in Uganda in year 1947. Five years later it was identified in humans. Though sporadic cases have been reported since 1960 no major harm was reported till recently. The first major outbreak was reported from the Island of Yap in the Pacific in 2007, then from French Polynesia in 2013 followed by one from Brazil in 2015.

How serious is Zika infection?

The virus infection is not considered dangerous other than in pregnant women. During the Brazilian outbreak, it was identified that Zika virus was leading to birth defects in babies, if infected during pregnancy. The virus attack on the brain tissue of the fetus was leading to microcephaly. And 4,200 suspected cases of microcephaly were identified by the end of January 2016. The Zika virus spread to several other Latin American countries and to the Caribbean. Countries like El Salvador, Jamaica and Colombia advised women to delay pregnancy. Thereafter, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared Zika a public health emergency of international concern.

Some affected countries, including Brazil, have also reported an increase in Guillain-Barré syndrome. This is a neurological disorder that can lead to paralysis and death, the fatality rate of which is estimated in the range of 8.3%.

What are the symptoms of Zika infection?

It is observed that in majority of infected cases no symptoms are developed. The incubation period (the time from exposure to symptoms) of Zika infection is in the range of 3-14 days. When symptoms appear, they are similar to flu, like fever, body pain, headache, muscle and joint pain etc. According to WHO these symptoms can be addressed with common pain and fever medicines, rest and plenty of water. Additional symptoms are occasional rash like in dengue, while some patients face conjunctivitis. Affected should seek medical advice if the symptoms persist or worsen. Pregnant women should invariably seek medical advice.

What are the precautions to be taken to control Zika infection?

In affected areas, people should stay indoors. Precautions are similar to other dengue. Use of mosquito nets and repellents will help to control spreading. Those who are affected should abstain from sex and chances of conception during the time of outbreak should be minimised. Also should destroy breeding sites of mosquito larvae as mosquito control measures is one of the best methods to prevent spreading of Zika virus.

There have been positive news from medical fields too. Zika vaccines are in the process of human trial after having successfully completed trials in mice and monkeys. In India, the Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech’s Zika vaccine is under trial.

Were Zika cases reported earlier in India?

At present 80 cases of Zika infection have been reported from Rajasthan and they have been mainly concentrated around Jaipur. The state government has arranged teams for house to house surveys in affected areas. Prior to this, during May to July, 2017, four confirmed cases of Zika infection was reported from Bapunagar area in Ahmedabad District of Gujarat State.