Recently, a five-year-old girl from Karnataka’s Kolar district has been tested positive for Zika Virus, marking the first case in the State. According to state Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar the government is monitoring the situation closely.
Earlier this month, a 67-year-old man was also found infected with the Zika virus in Pune. The man is a resident of Nashik and had come to Pune on November 6.
Zika Virus infection is a mosquito-borne disease that is spread by the Aedes mosquito, the same species that transmits the Chikungunya and Dengue viruses. It spreads mostly by the bite of an infected mosquito (Aedes species – Ae. Aegypti and Ae. Albopictus). These species usually bite during the day and night.
What is Zika Virus Infection?
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Zika Virus disease can infect a pregnant woman and her fetus. Infection during pregnancy can cause certain birth defects and other malformations in the infant, including limb contractures, hearing loss, eye abnormalities and high muscle tone. In adults, the disease can lead to complications in brain and nerve system. Moreover, the virus can be sexually transmitted from one infected person to another.
Treatment
There is no specific treatment for the disease. Medicines are prescribed to control symptoms like joint pain and fever. Patients are also recommended to drink plenty of fluids and get enough rest.
Symptoms
Zika Virus symptoms are usually mild and affect 1 out of 5 people. The symptoms appear within 2 weeks of being bitten by the infected mosquitoes. The symptoms include fever, headache, conjunctivitis (red eyes), rashes, joint pain and muscle pain.
Prevention
- Mosquitoes like dark, humid places, both indoors and outdoors, so one must ensure keep the house and surroundings clean to get rid of mosquito breeding.
- Use a mosquito net while sleeping.
- Wear protective clothes, cover your body with a long-sleeved shirt or top, pants, socks and shoes.
- Use mosquito repellent on your clothing.
- Spray insect repellent (bug spray) in your rooms.
- Clear clogged rain gutters. Repair the cracks or gaps found in the septic tank and keep the open ventilations covered.
