Zika: Diseases, Symptoms and Treatment.

Zika is a viral disease transmitted by mosquitoes. It was first found in some monkeys in Ungada in 1947, and then in humans in 1952 in Uganda and Tanzania. Zika virus is a species of flavivirus that is spread by Aedes mosquitoes. At present, 13 Zika patients have been found in Kerala, so it is necessary to be careful once again.

Accordingly, the symptoms of the disease and preventive measures.

Signs and symptoms of Zika disease:
‘There is no clarity as to exactly what the duration of Zika illness is; However it seems to be a few days old. Although the

majority of patients have no symptoms at all, the symptoms of Zika are generally similar to those of dengue. These include fever, rash, itchy eyes, joint and muscle aches, fatigue and headaches. These symptoms are usually mild and last for two to seven days. Zika’s illness does not require many hospitalizations. Also, the death rate from this disease is negligible.

Complications of Zika disease
The following are some of the key complications of the 2013 Zika outbreak in France and the 2015 outbreak in Brazil.

Microcephaly (Decreased head circumference) – It has been shown that the head circumference of an infant who is exposed to the Zika virus during pregnancy decreases.

Gia Bari Syndrome- More research is needed to clarify the exact relationship between the two complications of the Zika virus.

Diagnosis of Zika disease:
Diagnosis facility is available free of cost at the National Institute of Diagnosis, New Delhi and National Institute of Virology, Pune. For this, like dengue disease, the blood/blood plasma of a suspected Zika patient should be kept for two to eight temperatures and sent for testing. Fill out a form giving brief information of the patient along with the laboratory sample. This form is available on the website of the National Institute of Virology.

Treatment:
There is no specific drug or vaccine available for Zika. Patients need to be treated symptomatically.

The patient should get adequate rest.
Adequate fluids should be consumed to prevent dehydration.
Use paracetamol for fever.
Aspirin or NSAIDs Types of drugs should not be used.

Fever Patient Survey:
In this emergency situation caused by Zika disease, each district/municipality needs to conduct more fever surveys in its jurisdiction. Pregnant mothers should be given priority while surveying fever patients. Dengue, Chikungunya should be surveyed in the same way as the method used for the survey.

Integrated Pest Control:
Zika disease is spread by the Aedes mosquito. The same mosquitoes also spread dengue and chikungunya. Since these mosquitoes are found in large numbers all over the country including Maharashtra, the possibility of the spread of Zika disease cannot be ruled out. For this, Aedes mosquito prevention measures need to be implemented more effectively.
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