Zika virus: Symptoms, prevention, treatment; all you need to know

In the midst of COVID-19 pandemic, the southern state of Kerala on Thursday reported 13 cases of Zika virus a mosquito-borne disease for the first time. Each of the samples tested positive for the Zika virus were taken from the Thiruvananthapuram and was sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Maharashtra’s Pune.

The samples were taken for analysis after a pregnant woman sought treatment last month with manifestations such as fever, headache, and red marks on the skin, as per the Mathrubhumi news portal.

Zika spreads mainly by the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito, which bites during the day time. Aedes mosquitoes are the same that transmit dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever. Zika can also be transmitted from a pregnant woman to her fetus and can lead infants to be born with microcephaly.

The Zika virus is also linked with other pregnancy issue, which includes premature birth and miscarriage. As per the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people with the Zika virus can also transmit the infection to their sex partners.

Symptoms:

The symptoms are fever, rash, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain, malaise or headache. The incubation period of Zika virus disease is reckoned to be 3–14 days and the symptoms last for 2–7 days. Many people with the infection do not show symptoms, according to the WHO.

Prevention and Treatment:

There is no particular therapy or vaccine jab for the Zika. The formulation of the Zika vaccine continues to be a busy area of analysis. The world health agency directs individual with symptoms to get plenty of rest, drink fluids, and “treat pain and fever with common drug.

Zika infection can only be averted by staying clear of mosquito bites. Special notice should be given to stay away from mosquito bites among pregnant women, women of reproductive age, and young children, says WHO.

Also Read: Zika Virus: Kerala reports first positive case, 13 suspected cases