A 46-year-old doctor and his teenage daughter have tested positive for Zika virus infection in Maharashtra’s Pune city.

Zika Virus

• Zika virus is a mosquito-borne flavivirus that was first identified in Uganda in 1947 in monkeys. 

• It was later identified in humans in 1952 in Uganda and Tanzania.

• Outbreaks of Zika virus disease have been recorded in Africa, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific. 

• From the 1960s to 1980s, rare sporadic cases of human infections were found across Africa and Asia, typically accompanied by mild illness.

Transmission:

• Zika virus disease is caused by a virus transmitted primarily by Aedes mosquitoes, which bite during the day. 

• This is the same mosquito that transmits dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever.

• Zika virus is also transmitted from mother to fetus during pregnancy, through sexual contact, transfusion of blood and blood products, and organ transplantation.

Symptoms:

• Symptoms of Zika virus infection are typically mild and may include fever, rash, conjunctivitis (red eyes), muscle and joint pain, as well as feelings of malaise or headache.

• Many individuals infected with Zika virus do not experience any symptoms.

Complications of Zika virus disease

• Zika virus infection during pregnancy is a cause of microcephaly and other congenital abnormalities in the developing fetus and newborn. 

• Zika infection in pregnancy also results in pregnancy complications such as fetal loss, stillbirth, and preterm birth.  

• Zika virus infection is also a trigger of Guillain-Barré syndrome, neuropathy and myelitis, particularly in adults and older children.

Treatment for Zika virus infection:

• Currently, there is no vaccine available to prevent Zika virus infection, nor is there a specific medicine to treat it.

• Treatment mainly involves managing symptoms such as fever and pain. This includes getting plenty of rest, staying hydrated, and taking acetaminophen to reduce fever and alleviate pain.

(The author is a trainer for Civil Services aspirants.)