In the wake of the detection of Zika virus cases in Maharashtra, the Union Health Ministry on Wednesday issued an advisory to all states. The health ministry has asked the states to maintain a state of constant vigil through screening of pregnant women for infection and monitoring the growth of foetuses of expecting mothers who tested positive for Zika. Health facilities and hospitals have been instructed to identify a nodal officer to monitor and act to keep the premises free of Aedes mosquitoes.
States have also been asked to strengthen entomological surveillance and intensify vector control activities in residential areas, workplaces, schools, construction sites, institutions and health facilities, the advisory said. On July 1, six people, including two pregnant women, were infected with the Zika virus infection in Pune. Four cases were reported in the city's Erandwane area and two in the Mundhwa area.
The virus is transmitted through the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito, which is also known to transmit infections like dengue and chikungunya. The virus was first identified in Uganda in 1947.Zika virus in pregnant women may cause microcephaly (a condition in which the head is significantly smaller due to abnormal brain development) in the foetus. States are also urged to promote awareness through precautionary IEC messages in social media and other platforms to reduce panic among the community, as Zika is like any other viral infection with most cases being asymptomatic and mild. Zika testing facility is available at National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune; National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Delhi and a few selected virus research and diagnostic laboratories of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). Reviews are being held at higher level.