Pune, Aug 2: A 50-year-old woman of Belsar village in rural Pune has been reported as first case in Maharashtra for Zika virus, the case comes at a time when the fear of a third Covid wave is looming large. Due to similarities of symptoms of Zikka and Covid diseases.

National Communicable Disease Control Programme, Advisor-Dr Naresh Purohit here on Monday said that there is a need to check the spread of the Aedes mosquito to control Zika and speed up vaccination to lessen the impact of Coronavirus in the future.
Speaking to UNI, Epidemiologist Dr. Purohit averred that the Zika virus spreads through mosquitoes. If anyone is found to have Zika, we must protect that person from getting mosquito bites so that the disease won’t spread to others. As such, there is no definitive treatment for Zika.
Serious cases needing hospital admission are rare but the spread of the virus should be contained by keeping the environment mosquito-free.
“Aedes mosquitoes breed in stagnant clear water. The use of mosquito repellents should also be encouraged,” he added.
WHO-Covid-19 technical lead Dr. Purohit stated that Kerala had confirmed cases of Zika in the last few months therefore medics should screen patients for Zika in case of a sudden rise in fever in a particular area. To tackle the fast-spreading Delta variant, Dr. Purohit said the thrust should be on masks, sanitisers and social distancing.
He further said, “Now we know about Zika and the Delta variant of Covid beforehand and must keep ourselves one step ahead by taking precautions and spreading awareness among the general population. Medics also should be more alert in the screening of patients for these two types of viruses. We should educate all our fever patients about these two viruses and once infected by them or once you get a fever what all care should be taken to contain the spread of the disease.”
Principal Investigator for National Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme Dr. Purohit averred that Zika originated from Brazil in 2007 and it causes high fever, bleeding under the skin causing dark patches, and severe, painful joint swellings.
Zika was later shown to cause microcephaly—small skulls in a newborn from a Zika-infected mother. The culprit for its spread is the female Aedes aegypti mosquito that bites during early mornings and early evenings.
He told that the same mosquito also transmits dengue, chikungunya, and yellow fever.
He continued, “All these four viral diseases manifest with similar presenting features such as fever, joint swellings, and skin patches. The worst time of recurrence of these infections is when Covid-19 is ravaging throughout the world and Covid itself manifests with similar features. Such overlap of symptoms between the five diseases causes difficulty in diagnosis. However, all these viral diseases do not have any specific treatment, and patients are managed symptomatically.”
“Zika can be transmitted from the mother to the fetus causing severe congenital malformations such as microcephaly. In adults it can cause serious neurological complications,” he underscored.
He explained that in any febrile illness, one needs to first rule out Covid through the RT-PCR test.
“Citizens are advised to contact their physician immediately if they experience any febrile episode, no matter how mild it may be,” he cautioned.
He pointed out, “Unlike Covid, Zika is self-limiting and most patients are asymptomatic, though there is a threat to the fetus during early trimester of pregnancy. Medics can diagnose Zika infection by doing Zika virus RT-PCR blood test and antibody titers. Patients need only symptomatic and supportive care. Prevention is to avoid mosquito bites using repellents and nets and avoid mosquito breeding areas.”(UNI)