Zika Virus: An Indian Perspective

  • Udit Narang, Narang P, Suri V, Bhalla A

Abstract

Mosquito-borne diseases like Malaria and Dengue are highly prevalent in India. Zika virus disease, mosquito- borne disease is posing a threat in India due to high prevalence of the mosquito, namely Aedes aegypti, that also transmits Dengue virus. Zika Virus, a positive-sense single-stranded RNA virus of the family Flaviviridae, after being first isolated from a sentinel rhesus macaque monkey in 1947 clinically presented for the first time in 1954 in 3 patients in Nigeria. Infection presents classically as acute onset low-grade fever with maculopapular pruritic rash, arthralgia (notably in small joints of hands and feet) or conjunctivitis (nonpurulent). Neurological complications including congenital microcephaly, Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), myelitis, and meningoencephalitis have been reported. However, the virus has caused less than 10 possible deaths worldwide till date. No case has been reported in India as of now but since there is a possibility of establishment of disease, the Ministry of Health and Family welfare, Govt. of India, has issued detailed guidelines for community-based surveillance, international travel, laboratory diagnosis, vector control and research. Prevention will be the best practice.

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Published
2019-07-25
How to Cite
Udit Narang, Narang P, Suri V, Bhalla A. (2019). Zika Virus: An Indian Perspective. The Indian Practitioner, 69(7), 40-44. Retrieved from https://articles.theindianpractitioner.com/index.php/tip/article/view/420