Mumbai detects Zika virus: What are signs, symptoms and prevention measures?

• Mumbai recently reported the first case of Zika Virus, confirmed by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

Zika Virus

• It is a mosquito-borne virus that was first identified in the Zika Forest of Uganda in 1947.
  • This is the same mosquito that transmits dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever.
• No specific treatment is available for Zika virus infection or disease.
• Instead, the focus is on relieving symptoms and includes rest, rehydration and acetaminophen for fever and pain.

Symptoms

• Many people infected with this virus do not experience any symptoms (asymptomatic).
• When symptoms do occur, they are often mild and include fever, rash, joint pain, muscle pain, headache and conjunctivitis.
• Symptoms typically appear two to seven days after being bitten by an infected mosquito and can last several days to a week.

Transmission

• It is primarily transmitted to humans through the bite of infected Aedes mosquitoes, particularly Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus.
• It can also spread through sexual contact, blood transfusion, and from an infected mother to her baby during pregnancy or childbirth.

Complications

• This virus infection is usually mild, but it can have severe consequences for pregnant women and their babies.
• Infection during pregnancy can lead to birth defects such as microcephaly and other neurological disorders in the baby.
• It has also been linked to Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare autoimmune disorder that can lead to muscle weakness and paralysis.

Prelims Takeaway

• Zika Virus
• Dengue