Following the confirmation of the state’s first Zika virus case, the Health Department is on high alert.
A five-year-old girl from Raichur district in north Karnataka has been diagnosed with the virus.
Taking note of it, the state government has directed the health department to begin all precautionary measures to contain the disease on Tuesday.
According to experts, the cold, cloudy weather and drizzles in the state caused by the Mandous cyclone have exacerbated the situation because the virus spreads faster under these conditions.
The authorities are gathering the girl’s travel history, and precautions have already been implemented in the girl’s neighborhood and surroundings. Blood and urine samples from parents and family members have been collected and so far five persons have tested negative.
Dr. K. Sudhakar, Minister of Health, stated that the government is prepared to handle the situation. He stated that the disease had been confirmed by tests performed by the National Institute of Virology in Pune.
On November 13, the girl became ill with a fever. Her parents had gotten her admitted to the Sindhanur Government Hospital. There, it was discovered that she has Dengue fever. The girl was later transferred to Vijayanagar Institute of Medical Sciences (VIMS) and treated from November 15 to 18.
The doctors had sent urine and blood samples to a laboratory in Pune. The first Zika virus in India was discovered in Kerala in 2020. Persons infected with the Zika virus exhibit severe symptoms such as fever, body pain, joint pain, rash, and conjunctivitis.
The Zika virus is primarily transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito. These mosquitos typically bite during the day. The disease can also be transmitted through unprotected sexual contact and blood transfusion.
Source:OCN