Recently, in Karnataka a 5 year old girl has been found positive for Zika Virus. The case was of the Kolar district, making it the first case of the state. According to Karnataka’s Health Minister Dr. K Sudhakar, the government of Kerala is keeping an eye on the situation strictly. A few days ago, this month, a 67 year old man was also tested positive for the Zika virus in Pune. This man is a resident of Nashik and had visited Pune on the 6th of November.
This infection, which is known as Zika Virus infection, is a mosquito-borne disease. Its carriers are the Aedes mosquito, which are also responsible for the transmission of the Chikungunya and Dengue viruses. Mostly, it spreads through the bite of an infected mosquito ( Aedes species – Ae. Aegypti and Ae.Albopictus). These species generally bite in both day and night.
Zika Virus Infection – Symptoms, Prevention, Treatment
The World Health Organization said that the Zika Virus disease can contaminate a pregnant woman and her fetus. This infection during the pregnancy could become a reason for several birth defects and other abnormalities in the future, which include, hearing loss, high muscle tone, eye abnormalities and limb contractures. In adults, it can cause problems in the nerve system and in the brain. On the other hand it is also said that it can be transmitted sexually from an infected person to another.
Symptoms
Zika Virus symptoms are generally mild and affect 20% people, i.e. 1 out of 5 people. Symptoms of the disease may appear in 2 weeks time after being bitten by the infected mosquito. The symptoms mainly include, headache, fever, rashes, conjunctivitis (red eye), muscle pain and joint pain.
Prevention
1. Make sure to keep your house and its surroundings clean to prevent the breeding of the mosquitos, as they like dark and humid places, both indoors and outdoors.
2. Mosquito netting is recommended while sleeping.
3. Wear protective clothes and cover your body using a long-sleeved top or shirt, pant socks and shoes
4. Use of mosquito repellants on your clothes is also an effective way to prevent this disease.
5. Spray insect repellent or bug spray in every room of your house.
6. Clean blocked rain gutters. Repair all the cracks and spaces found in a septic tank and cover the open ventilations.
Treatment
The biggest concern here is that there is no specific treatment available for this disease. Some medicines are suggested to control symptoms such as fever and joint pain. Patients suffering from this disease are also recommended to drink a lot of fluids and get adequate rest.
