Karnataka is on high alert after the Zika virus was found in a mosquito sample taken from the Chikkaballapur district. On September 25, the sample was taken from a Talakayalaba village in the Sidlaghatta Taluk. After finding the Zika virus in an Aedes mosquito-contaminated pool, close to Bengaluru, the Karnataka Health Department, led by Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, sent out a public advisory.
A sample of pregnant women, feverish people, and mosquitoes were randomly tested for Zika virus infections over the past few months in 68 different locations throughout the state, according to health department representatives. The blood sample was sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune, for testing.
“Since Zika virus (ZVD) is known to cause congenital abnormalities, including microcephaly, all pregnant women residing in areas with aedes mosquito-contaminated pools or human serum that tests positive for the virus should collect and send samples of their urine and serum to NIV, Bengaluru for testing,” the advisory said.
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What is Zika Virus:
It was first identified in 1947 in a Rhesus macaque monkey in Uganda. It is transmitted via mosquitoes. The 1950s saw the discovery of human infection and disease cases in several African countries. But since 2007, there have been documented Zika virus epidemics in Asia, the Pacific, the Americas, and Africa.
Aedes (Stegomyia) mosquitoes, especially Aedes aegypti, are the main mosquito carriers of the Zika virus in tropical and subtropical regions. Aedes mosquitoes usually bite during the day. Dengue, chikungunya, and urban yellow fever are also transmitted by these mosquitos.
Most Zika virus infections result in no symptoms at all; those that do typically have fever, conjunctivitis, rash, headache, soreness in the muscles and joints, and lethargy lasting two to seven days.
It can also be passed from a pregnant woman to her fetus, through intercourse, blood transfusions, and potentially through organ transplants.
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Causalities Linked to Zika Virus:
Over the past ten years, there has been a correlation between an increased incidence of Guillain-Barré syndrome and Zika virus infection. Immune system attacks on a portion of the peripheral nerve system cause Guillain-Barré syndrome. The nerves that convey pain, temperature, and touch sensations can all be impacted by the disease, in addition to the ones that govern muscular action.
Muscle weakness, numbness in the arms and/or legs, and difficulties breathing or swallowing might arise from this.
People of all ages can be affected by this uncommon ailment. However, adults and men are more likely to have it.
Complications During Pregnancy:
Pregnancy-related Zika virus infection results in Microcephaly and congenital abnormalities in the newborn, including limb contractures, excessive muscle tone, abnormalities in the eyes, and hearing loss. Microcephaly is a condition in which the baby’s head size is significantly smaller than that of other babies of the same age and gender. The size of a child’s head is a crucial indicator of their developing brain.
Congenital anomalies arise after both acute and asymptomatic infection. Preterm birth, stillbirth, and fetal loss are among the issues that can result from a Zika infection during pregnancy.
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These clinical symptoms caused by the Zika virus are jointly referred to as Congenital Zika Syndrome. An estimated 5–15% of newborns delivered to women infected with it during pregnancy have signs of Zika-related problems; the incidence of congenital abnormalities following infection during pregnancy is unknown. When the causal connection between the Zika virus and congenital abnormalities was established in February 2016, the World Health Organisation (WHO) designated Zika-related microcephaly as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).
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