Zika virus: Why Kerala and Tamil Nadu declared high alert

Ground Report | New Delhi: Zika virus; An alert has been issued in the two southern states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu after 14 cases of Zika virus were reported in Kerala. All the virus cases detected in Kerala have been confirmed by the National Institute of Virology, Pune.

Zika virus: Kerala and Tamil Nadu high alert

It is spread through the bite of the Aedes mosquito. These are the same mosquitoes that spread dengue and chikungunya but they are not deadly. There is also no need to be hospitalized if infected with this. But if this infection happens to a three-month pregnant woman, then some malformations can be found in her baby. The baby's head may be smaller than normal at birth.

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The first cluster of Zika virus infection has been found in Parasalla near the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border. Which is 34 km away from Thiruvananthapuram. Most of the people who have been found infected are related to the health sector.

The first case of infection was found in a 24-year-old pregnant woman. Symptoms of infection in the woman came to the fore when she was about to deliver at a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram.

Symptoms of infection?

Only a small number of deaths occur due to infection of this virus. Only one in five infected people show symptoms.

• mild fever
• Eye infection (reddish and swollen eyes)
• Headache
• joint pain
• red rash on body

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Due to this infection, there can be a specific type of nervous system-related problem, which is also called Guillain Barre syndrome. This can cause temporary paralysis.

Till now there is no vaccine and no medicine is available for this virus. Therefore, patients are advised to rest and take more and more fluids.

But the biggest concern is about the fact that it affects the children growing in the womb. In such a situation, children with less developed brains are born. This is called microcephaly.

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