Zika Virus Outbreak in Thalassery Court: Symptoms, Prevention, and Updates

04 November 2023, 09:10 PM IST

Representative Image| Photo: Canva.com

Kannur: Seven more people have been confirmed with Zika virus in the state. Seven people from Thalassery Court, who were previously suspected of spreading the disease, have been infected. With this, the total number of patients has increased to eight. The results of the public health lab in Thiruvananthapuram have come out.

The employees of the three courts in the district court complex, the lawyers present in the court and the two judges had physical problems. About 100 people fell ill and three courts were closed.

A week ago, symptoms started appearing among the Thalassery court employees. Fatigue, fatigue and fever were felt in the body. The virus has completely affected the functioning of the court.

What is the Zika virus?

Zika is an RNA. It’s a virus. It is a virus that belongs to the Flavi virus family. The disease is spread by mosquitoes. In 1947, the virus was discovered in rhesus monkeys in Zika forests in Uganda. By the following year, the virus was identified in the Aedes Africanus mosquito. Subsequently, the presence of the virus was identified in the blood of tribal groups in the area.

With this, this disease comes to the attention of the world. But for half a century, the world did not face any major problems with Zika. Till 2007, there was no significant discussion about this. In 2007, the Zika virus broke out in the Pacific island of Yap. The tests revealed that the Zika virus in Yap had undergone a lot more transformation than first discovered.

About 70 percent of the people on Yap Island are infected with Zika. After that, in 2013, Zika came to the world’s attention again. Zika arrived in the Pacific island of Micronesia and caused genetic changes.

But the world considered Zika to be as dangerous as it is today when the disease spread in Brazil in 2015. About 15 lakh people are believed to have been infected with Zika that day. Zika has been identified as affecting the brain development of unborn babies. It was then that the world noticed that children with small heads were born.

With this, the World Health Organization has declared Zika as a global health crisis. The World Health Organization (WHO) advises that Zika outbreaks should be monitored for future generations if Zika spreads. After this, there has been a great deal of worldwide surveillance of Zika over the past several years. But no such large-scale Zika outbreak has been reported in India. Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu have had Zika outbreaks, but they have not been widespread.

SikaSymptoms of

Compared to diseases like Nipah and Covid, the symptoms of Zika are not so serious. It is similar to dengue fever but less severe. But it does not cause such serious symptoms. Four out of five people will have no symptoms at all. In some cases, it is only a small fever and the disease is contained. Only one in five will ever need to see a doctor.

The fever is rarely severe enough to require hospitalization. The risk of death is very rare. Two issues are generally raised about Zika. In areas where Zika is endemic, pregnant women who become infected with Zika are more likely to infect their babies. Another health problem known as Guillain-Barre syndrome has been found in people who have contracted the disease in areas where Zika is widespread. People with Guillain-Barré syndrome have neurological problems. This is a condition where the limbs are weak.

Other symptoms of the disease include fever, red eyes, muscle aches and red bumps on the body.

It can be mistaken for dengue fever

Dengue, Chikungunya and Zika are spread by the same species of mosquito. Therefore, the Zika virus will also spread in the area where dengue is spreading. Therefore, even if Zika does occur, it is often misdiagnosed as dengue. Therefore, Zika testing is done in people who have symptoms of dengue but have a negative dengue test result. It is difficult to distinguish it from dengue by symptoms.

Zika is spread by mosquitoes

Zika is mainly spread by mosquito bites. 99.9 percent of the disease is transmitted by mosquitoes. The presence of the virus has been detected in Rethas because it is a virus belonging to the Flavi family. So it is possible to spread Zika to another person through sexual contact.

During the outbreak in Brazil, Olympic athletes and citizens were advised to temporarily abstain from sexual intercourse with their partners. It takes this possibility into account.

Zika can be transmitted through the sharing of organs, including blood, at times.

Prevention is mosquito repellent

Zika is a potential disease in our country. So mosquito control is the only solution. Mosquito control measures should be taken to prevent the spread of disease.

The disease is spread by Aedes mosquitoes. These are a container breeder. These are mosquitoes that can lay eggs and multiply even in very low humidity. Aedes mosquitoes are in the category of mosquitoes that hatch in small pots, piles of charcoal, or garbage heaps around the house.

Therefore, it is important to keep the house and surroundings clean. These mosquitoes can breed in plant pots, kitchens, the back of the fridge, and even indoors, including broken sinks. So a dry day should be observed once a week. Also, pregnant women need to be protected. Steps should be taken to protect them from mosquito bites. Even if we get sick, we should stay safe and rest without getting bitten by mosquitoes.

Along with this, it should be observed if there is more fever in any area and the head size of the children is reduced.

Credits for the information

Dr. Anish TS
Associate Professor,
Community Medicine
Govt. Medical College,
Thiruvananthapuram

2023-11-04 15:40:09
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