K'taka on alert as first case of Zika virus surfaces

The Health department is on high alert following the confirmation of the first Zika virus case in the state.

The virus has been confirmed in a five-year-old girl from Raichur district in north Karnataka.

Taking cognisance of it, the state government has directed the health department to initiate all precautionary measures from Tuesday to contain the disease.

The cold, cloudy weather and drizzles in the state due to the Mandous cyclone has further complicated the situation as the virus spread faster under these circumstances according to experts.

The authorities are gathering the travel history of the girl and precautions have already been initiated in the neighborhood and surroundings of the girl's residence. The blood and urine samples of the parents and family members have been collected and so far five persons have tested negative.

Health Minister Dr K. Sudhakar had stated that the government is prepared to handle the situation. He stated that the tests done by the National Institute of Virology from Pune has confirmed the disease.

The girl was infected with fever on November 13. The parents had got her admitted to the Government Hospital in Sindhanur. There it was detected that she is affected with Dengue fever. Later, the girl was shifted to Vijayanagar Institute of Medical Sciences (VIMS) and administered treatment from November 15 to 18.

The doctors had sent the samples of urine and blood to the Pune laboratory. The first Zika virus in the country was found in Kerala in 2020. Severe symptoms of fever, body pain, and pain in joints, rash, and conjunctivitis are found in persons affected with Zika virus.

Zika virus is transmitted to people primarily through the bite of an infected Aedes species of mosquito. These mosquitoes usually bite during day time. The disease also spreads through unprotected intercourse and blood transmission.