Zika case: Samples of 57 pregnant women sent for tests

After a case of Zika virus was detected in a five-year-old girl from Raichur last week, the health department has sent samples for testing from 57 pregnant women living within a five-km radius.

Zika infections cause symptoms similar to dengue, but on a much milder scale.

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They usually resolve with symptomatic treatment. But the disease can have severe effects for pregnancy outcome - the foetus can develop microcephaly, a birth defect in which the head would be significantly small. “Abdominal scans of these women show no foetal defects. The blood test results will be out in 5-10 days,” said Dr Mahamood Shariff, deputy director (National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme).

While the Raichur case has been the first-ever Zika case reported in Karnataka, states like Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala and Rajasthan have reported them in the last few years. An ICMR study published this June said that its surveillance showed eight states having Zika cases in 2021. “There have been no deaths or microcephaly cases due to Zika in India so far,” said Shariff.

Dr John Paul, infectious diseases specialist at Sparsh Hospital, says the risks for pregnancy is especially higher if the woman contracts the disease in the first trimester.

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“This is a major concern with Zika. Else, it rarely causes severe illness or death even among the elderly or immuno-compromised.

Zika is caused by the Aedus mosquito species, which also causes dengue. Since these mosquitoes are present in high numbers in India, mosquito-control measures are crucial, along with surveillance among pregnant women, says Paul. Shariff says samples can be tested in case of symptomatic people who were contacts of an ill person or who have travel history.

The state already has routine surveillance for Zika in its virus research and diagnostic laboratories (VRDLs), he says.

“Of the samples that are negative for dengue and chikungunya, 10 per cent are sent to VRDLs for testing every month, and this is further sent to NIV Pune for confirmation.”

The state also has a system for mosquito surveillance, which had shown positive Zika samples among mosquitoes earlier, Shariff said. He said Zika surveillance would be strengthened in the state.