After Kerala, Maharashtra has reported its first case of Zika virus infection, prompting the Centre on Monday to rush a high-level team to the State to support the authorities to draw an action plan to control the further spread of the disease.
Zika virus is transmitted mostly by the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito, mainly Aedes aegypti.
On July 31, Maharashtra reported the first case in a resident of Purandar district in rural Pune. The 50-year-old woman was admitted to Belsar primary health centre in Purandar and has now recovered and been sent home. She was also infected by chickungunya.
A statement issued by the Union Health Ministry said that the three-member Central team consists of a public health expert from the office of Regional Director, Pune; a gynaecologist from Lady Hardinge Medical College, Delhi; and an entomologist from National Institute of Malaria Research (NIMR), ICMR, New Delhi.
“The team shall work closely with the State Health Department, take a stock of the situation on the ground and assess whether the Union Health Ministry’s Action Plan for Zika Management is being implemented, and recommend necessary public health interventions for the management of Zika in the State,” said the statement.
Kerala has so far reported 61 Zika cases. The infection is mostly found in the tropical and subtropical regions. The symptoms of Zika are similar to dengue, including fever, skin rashes and joint pain. In the vast majority of cases, there are no symptoms. Zika can cause paralysis (Guillain-Barré Syndrome) in some people. It has the potential to cause birth abnormalities in pregnant women.