Firstpost
  • Home
  • Video Shows
    Vantage Firstpost America Firstpost Africa First Sports
  • World
    US News
  • Explainers
  • News
    India Opinion Cricket Tech Entertainment Sports Health Photostories
  • Asia Cup 2025
Apple Incorporated Modi ji Justin Trudeau Trending

Sections

  • Home
  • Live TV
  • Videos
  • Shows
  • World
  • India
  • Explainers
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Cricket
  • Health
  • Tech/Auto
  • Entertainment
  • Web Stories
  • Business
  • Impact Shorts

Shows

  • Vantage
  • Firstpost America
  • Firstpost Africa
  • First Sports
  • Fast and Factual
  • Between The Lines
  • Flashback
  • Live TV

Events

  • Raisina Dialogue
  • Independence Day
  • Champions Trophy
  • Delhi Elections 2025
  • Budget 2025
  • US Elections 2024
  • Firstpost Defence Summit
Trending:
  • Jimmey Kimmel returns
  • IND vs BAN LIVE
  • Typhoon Ragasa
  • H-1B visa
  • India-EU trade deal
  • Rapture Tok
  • Zubeen Garg death
fp-logo
Zika virus cases detected in India: All you need to know about the mosquito-borne disease
Whatsapp Facebook Twitter
Whatsapp Facebook Twitter
Apple Incorporated Modi ji Justin Trudeau Trending

Sections

  • Home
  • Live TV
  • Videos
  • Shows
  • World
  • India
  • Explainers
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Cricket
  • Health
  • Tech/Auto
  • Entertainment
  • Web Stories
  • Business
  • Impact Shorts

Shows

  • Vantage
  • Firstpost America
  • Firstpost Africa
  • First Sports
  • Fast and Factual
  • Between The Lines
  • Flashback
  • Live TV

Events

  • Raisina Dialogue
  • Independence Day
  • Champions Trophy
  • Delhi Elections 2025
  • Budget 2025
  • US Elections 2024
  • Firstpost Defence Summit

Zika virus cases detected in India: All you need to know about the mosquito-borne disease

FP Staff • May 28, 2017, 15:42:37 IST
Whatsapp Facebook Twitter

What made Zika virus scarier was it’s rather mild symptoms for which people often never seek medical attention, hence are prone to go undetected.

Advertisement
Subscribe Join Us
Add as a preferred source on Google
Prefer
Firstpost
On
Google
Zika virus cases detected in India: All you need to know about the mosquito-borne disease

The Zika virus — the latest health scare to grip the planet — created flutters in India as three new cases were detected in Ahmedabad in India.

The virus, although discovered in 1947 in the forests of Uganda, came to prominence in 2015 when pregnant Brazilian women infected with the virus gave birth to babies with abnormally small heads that are normally associated with incomplete brain development (also called microcephaly). It was later linked to another debilitating condition Guillain–Barré syndrome, in which the immune system attacks healthy nerve cells in your peripheral nervous system, that can even lead to paralysis.

STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Representational image. AP
Representational image. AP

What made Zika virus scarier was it’s rather mild symptoms for which people often never seek medical attention, hence are prone to go undetected.

Some scientific papers have concluded that there was a lag of six to 12 months between Zika’s arrival and its detection in Brazil in 2015 and other parts of South America.

More from India
From Zebra cows to pizza-eating lizards, the winners of the Ig Nobel are… From Zebra cows to pizza-eating lizards, the winners of the Ig Nobel are… Scientists find new treasure beneath Atlantic: Could it be the answer to global water crisis? Scientists find new treasure beneath Atlantic: Could it be the answer to global water crisis?

The disease is spread by daytime-active Aedes mosquitoes, the same that spreads dengue and chickangunya. Most people infected with Zika don’t get sick. It can cause a mild illness, with fever, rash and joint pain. But infection during pregnancy can lead to severe brain-related birth defects in babies. It is characterised by brain damage and may cause other defects like blindness, deafness, and even seizures.

What do we know about the virus?

First in Africa: Aedes aegypti is a small, dark, hot-weather mosquito with white markings and banded legs. Scientists believe the species originated in Africa, but came to the Americas on slave ships. It’s continued to spread through shipping and airplanes. Now it’s found through much of the world, including the southern United States.

Impact Shorts

More Shorts
Police arrest Mohammad Yousuf, who helped terrorists in Pahalgam attack, in J&K: Sources

Police arrest Mohammad Yousuf, who helped terrorists in Pahalgam attack, in J&K: Sources

Indian-American diaspora's silence on US policy is surprising: Tharoor

Indian-American diaspora's silence on US policy is surprising: Tharoor

Once yellow fever mosquito: Early in the 20th century, scientists showed it was the engine behind devastating yellow fever outbreaks. It became known as the yellow fever mosquito, although that name has been used less often since a successful vaccine was developed against yellow fever. Since then, it’s also been identified as a carrier for other tropical illnesses such as dengue fever, chikungunya and Zika fever. Scientists are investigating whether other types of mosquitoes are spreading Zika in Latin America and the Caribbean, too.

STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD

A city-dweller: Aedes aegypti is the primary spreader of Zika and some other tropical diseases, largely because of its unusually cozy relationship with people. While other species thrive in more rural areas, or at least in parks and gardens, this is a domesticated species - sort of a housecat mosquito - accustomed to living in apartment buildings and city centers. It prefers biting people to animals and likes to feed indoors, during daylight hours. Also, it is a hardy bug that can be particularly challenging to get rid of.

Killed off, but it came back: In the early 20th century, many countries developed programs to destroy all Aedes aegypti mosquitoes through spraying chemicals and other measures. By 1970, it was eradicated from much of South America — including Brazil. But many mosquito-control programs were cut back. Reasons included budget cuts, and concerns about the use of some insecticides, and the yellow fever vaccine made the mosquito’s elimination less critical. The species roared back. It played a key role in the reemergence of dengue fever in Latin America and the Caribbean, and the recent spread of chikungunya and Zika virus.

STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD

Going for blood: Female mosquitoes drink human blood for nutrients used in making eggs. After a female bites an infected person, it can spread the virus through its saliva to its next human victim. Some scientists think Zika may have arrived in Brazil in 2014, carried by visitors attending World Cup soccer games. Perhaps one or more infected visitors were bitten by mosquitoes and started the chain reaction, said Jeffrey Powell, a Yale University mosquito expert who works in Brazil.

India has been free of this virus for over 60 years, and that traces of Zika were last seen in 1952-53.  The risk of further spread of Zika virus to areas where the competent vectors, the aedes mosquitoes, are present is significant given the wide geographical distribution of these mosquitoes in various regions of the world. Those infected with the virus may have mild fever, skin rash, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain or headache. These symptoms normally last for 2-7 days. While countries in the Caribbean are worst hit by the disease, a large number of cases have been reported from South and Central America.

STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD

India has strengthened its surveillance system in the past few years to detect and contain new infections. Only three Zika cases have been detected in around 50,000 tested so far, a senior Health Ministry official said.

Between 10 to 16 February in 2016, a total 93 blood samples were collected at BJ Medical College (BJMC) out of which one sample from a 64-year-old male had tested positive for Zika virus.

“This was first Zika positive case reported through AFI surveillance from Gujarat,” the statement said. However, what raises concern is that the second victim of the virus was a 34-year-old woman, who had just delivered a baby.  She had no history of fever during pregnancy and

had no history of travel for three months.

A sample from the patient was referred to the Viral Research and Diagnostic Laboratory (VRDL) for dengue testing and was found to be positive for the virus.

With inputs from agencies

Tags
India WHO Ahmedabad Zika Virus microcephaly Guillain Barre syndrome
  • Home
  • India
  • Zika virus cases detected in India: All you need to know about the mosquito-borne disease
End of Article
Latest News
Find us on YouTube
Subscribe
  • Home
  • India
  • Zika virus cases detected in India: All you need to know about the mosquito-borne disease
End of Article

Impact Shorts

Police arrest Mohammad Yousuf, who helped terrorists in Pahalgam attack, in J&K: Sources

Police arrest Mohammad Yousuf, who helped terrorists in Pahalgam attack, in J&K: Sources

Jammu and Kashmir Police arrested Mohammad Yousuf Kataria, allegedly a Lashkar-e-Taiba and The Resistance Front member, for providing logistical support in the Pahalgam attack that killed 26 people. He was identified through weapons analysis in 'Operation Mahadev'.

More Impact Shorts

Top Stories

Zelenskyy warns world of ‘most destructive arms race in history,’ says weapons will decide who survives

Zelenskyy warns world of ‘most destructive arms race in history,’ says weapons will decide who survives

US opposes Russia’s bid for UN aviation seat, says Moscow makes airspace ‘more dangerous’

US opposes Russia’s bid for UN aviation seat, says Moscow makes airspace ‘more dangerous’

Israel’s Netanyahu vows combined military-diplomatic push to free Gaza hostages

Israel’s Netanyahu vows combined military-diplomatic push to free Gaza hostages

Trump administration to redirect $1.8 billion in foreign aid to ‘America First’ priorities

Trump administration to redirect $1.8 billion in foreign aid to ‘America First’ priorities

Zelenskyy warns world of ‘most destructive arms race in history,’ says weapons will decide who survives

Zelenskyy warns world of ‘most destructive arms race in history,’ says weapons will decide who survives

US opposes Russia’s bid for UN aviation seat, says Moscow makes airspace ‘more dangerous’

US opposes Russia’s bid for UN aviation seat, says Moscow makes airspace ‘more dangerous’

Israel’s Netanyahu vows combined military-diplomatic push to free Gaza hostages

Israel’s Netanyahu vows combined military-diplomatic push to free Gaza hostages

Trump administration to redirect $1.8 billion in foreign aid to ‘America First’ priorities

Trump administration to redirect $1.8 billion in foreign aid to ‘America First’ priorities

Top Shows

Vantage Firstpost America Firstpost Africa First Sports
Enjoying the news?

Get the latest stories delivered straight to your inbox.

Subscribe

QUICK LINKS

  • Mumbai Rains
Latest News About Firstpost
Most Searched Categories
  • Web Stories
  • World
  • India
  • Explainers
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Cricket
  • Tech/Auto
  • Entertainment
  • IPL 2025
NETWORK18 SITES
  • News18
  • Money Control
  • CNBC TV18
  • Forbes India
  • Advertise with us
  • Sitemap
Firstpost Logo

is on YouTube

Subscribe Now

Copyright @ 2024. Firstpost - All Rights Reserved

About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Cookie Policy Terms Of Use
Home Video Shorts Live TV