Zika Virus in Kerala: Detected in Kerala For The First Time: A 24-year-old pregnant woman was found infected with Zika Virus in Kerala. The detection of this mosquito-borne Zika virus is the first time in the Kerala state. Across the state, an alert is issued by the health department.
Overall, 19 samples are sent to the National Institute of Virology, Pune, for testing. Of those, 13 samples result is positive. All these 19 samples are sent from the Tiruvananthapuram only. The pregnant woman, who is tested positive is admitted to a private hospital and her health is stable. This is the very first case of the Zika virus in Kerala. The doctors said that this virus is not life-threatening.
The woman was admitted with the symptoms of fever, headache, and rashes over the body. Firstly, she was tested for dengue and chikungunya fevers. But both tests showed negative results. Then, the doctors sent the samples to NIV, Pune, thinking that the signs are similar to the Zika virus. 19 persons also have the same symptoms. Hence, they sent their samples also to test.
Health Officers said that Zika is not a life-threatening virus. The infected patients need a lot of rest. At this moment, any vaccine or antiviral treatment is unavailable for this disease. We have to follow the prevention methods only. The best prevention method is avoiding mosquito bites in the daytime. But, this virus is dangerous for pregnant women.
Zika Virus Symptoms
The symptoms of the Zika virus are very close to the dengue and chikungunya. After the biting of the mosquito, it takes two to seven days to show the symptoms. The illness can be found through the pink eye, red spots on the face, trunk, neck, and upper arms, sensitivity to light. Within 7 days only, many people have recovered fully from the Zika virus.
