Karnataka is on high alert after a strain of the Zika virus was detected in a pool of mosquitoes that were part of random testing in the Chikkaballapur district. “Don’t panic, just be alert. If you observe any signs of fever, headache, conjunctivitis, rashes, or muscular/joint pains, it would be advisable to get yourself tested immediately,” advised Karnataka’s health minister Dinesh Gundu Rao while speaking to News18 about the extent of the virus infection and the preventive steps taken.
“There is nobody who has been infected with Zika, and no confirmation of any person testing positive for it,” said D Randeep, Karnataka’s Commissioner of Health and Family Welfare.
With the rising number of dengue cases being reported, random sampling of Aedes mosquitoes, which are known to be dengue carriers, led to the detection of the virus in Chikkaballapur, as explained by health officials.
“As of date, there is no confirmation of any person testing positive for Zika. Test results of 3 persons with fever have been sent for testing and the same is awaited,” said D Randeep, Karnataka’s Commissioner of Health and Family Welfare.
With the rising number of dengue cases being reported, random sampling of Aedes mosquitoes, which are known to be dengue carriers, led to the detection of the virus in Chikkaballapur, as explained by health officials.
Blood samples of three people who exhibited signs of the virus have been sent to the Bengaluru unit of the National Institute for Virology for detailed testing and analysis. The health department stated that the virus strain was found in samples taken from the villages of Thalakayalabetta and Dibburahalli in Sidlaghatta Taluka of Chikkaballapur.
Since Zika is a vector-borne disease that could have been transmitted via mosquitoes found in the area’s pool, health officials have been sampling and testing people in a five-kilometre radius to assess their health parameters, noted the health commissioner.
“Three people have a fever, and they have mild symptoms. It usually takes a week to ten days for the results of their tests to come back from the laboratory. If tested positive, we are well-prepared to take precautionary measures and enhance surveillance. We will then initiate containment measures and test all people in containment zone. As of now, there is no immediate need for such measures,” Randeep pointed out.
Unlike dengue and Nipah, he pointed out that Zika is not fatal.
Zika virus infection may present with symptoms such as a rash, fever, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint discomfort, malaise, and headaches that typically persist for a duration of two to seven days. While the majority of infected individuals remain asymptomatic, the virus has the potential to lead to various health complications, especially amongst pregnant women whose newborns are susceptible for birth & development defects, said the health commissioner.
“Surveillance of pregnant mothers in the infection zone is at 100 per cent as they are the most susceptible when it comes to Zika” Randeep added.
An advisory notification from the health department stated that “since ZVD is said to cause microcephaly (a condition where the brain of a baby in the womb grows slowly or stops) and other congenital anomalies among the newborn, the serum and urine samples of all pregnant women in the area where Aedes mosquito pools/human serum are positive for the Zika virus should be collected and sent to NIV Bengaluru for testing.
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