Zika Virus

What Is Zika Virus?

Zika virus is a disease that occurs due to mosquito bites. The virus was first found in the Zika forest of Uganda in 1947. The infected mosquito bites the human and infects the person. The virus can spread through blood transfusions, blood contact, and during pregnancy or childbirth. During pregnancy, the Zika virus may affect an infant, referred to as a Zika virus baby. The infected pregnant woman may transmit the virus to the developing fetus, and the condition is called congenital Zika syndrome. The head of the baby is smaller than normal, and the baby's vision and hearing are affected. Pregnant women are advised not to travel to mosquito-prone areas. The disease is a major health concern, so it is essential to consult a healthcare provider to reduce the Zika virus transmission.

How Does the Zika Virus Spread?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Zika virus is a viral pathogen that spreads through the bite of infected Aedes mosquito species, i.e., Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. The mosquitoes spread the Zika virus both during the day and at night. The symptoms of this infection are also very mild or sometimes even asymptomatic.

It may also be a part of the viral life cycle of this pathogen that the person infected once with the Zika virus may transfer the infection to another mosquito (humans acting as a carrier) that, in turn, gets infected and spreads the infection to other people through the bite. Monsoon makes the Aedes mosquito vectors a particularly favorable season to proliferate. This is why surveillance should be carried out in rural and urban areas across all the Indian states, particularly in Kerala and Karnataka.

What Are the Symptoms of the Zika Virus?

The incubation period of the Zika virus, as per the WHO, is between 3 to 14 days, with symptoms lasting anywhere between the second and seventh days. The main symptoms present in an individual affected by the Zika virus are:

• Fever.

• Rashes.

• Headache.

• Joint pains.

• Muscle pains (maybe sudden).

• Red eyes or conjunctivitis.

How Is Zika Virus Diagnosed?

Zika virus infection can be diagnosed in the following ways:

• Clinical Evaluation: The healthcare provider may evaluate symptoms like rash, joint pain, headache, and fever. They may ask about travel and exposure history and get information about recent travel to areas with Zika virus transmission.

• Laboratory Tests: The healthcare provider may advise some laboratory tests, such as serological and molecular tests. The blood and urine samples are taken to check for the acute phase of the infection.

• Placental Testing: The test is recommended during pregnancy if the virus is suspected during pregnancy.

How Is the Zika Virus Infection Managed?

As there is no specific management or treatment line for a person infected by Zika, the first thing to do if an infection is suspected in the family members or themselves would be to report to a physician and follow their line of management or strategy as indicated individually.

• An individual may further contact a physician or healthcare provider for additional medications and supplements to boost their immune system.

• Acetaminophen is usually given for relieving fever and pain. However, Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) or Aspirin should never be taken for Zika virus treatment. Always confer with the physician or healthcare provider about the appropriate medication (in case the physician suspects they have a dengue infection).

• Prevent dehydration by drinking lots of water and getting plenty of rest.

What Are the Complications of the Zika Virus?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), individuals affected by Zika rarely notice any observable symptoms enough to be hospitalized. Death due to Zika is also rare, as per the CDC. However, the complications of this viral infection are fatal as it can pass from the mother to the fetus in pregnancy and can also pass via sexual transmission.

• For pregnant women infected with Zika, the transmission of the viral pathogen to the fetus can cause microcephaly (the baby's head is smaller in size compared to other babies) and other birth defects or preterm or stillbirth.

• The possibility of Zika spreading through blood transfusions is very likely, according to the CDC, but not evidential or confirmed till now.

• The infection also has a neurological impact on children and young adults (increased reports of Guillain-Barre syndrome, an uncommon disease of the nervous system, neuropathy).

Epidemiologists and Public health experts say that the Zika virus does not usually transmit through contact or droplets (aerosols and air). All viruses also usually undergo multiple mutations to keep multiplying, so it is safer to follow precautions similar to COVID in these times to be prepared to face the different viral mutants in the environment.

What Are the Preventive Measures Against Zika Virus?

There is no vaccine to prevent Zika virus infection. However, the best way to prevent disease transmission is by being aware of the pathogenesis and how the virus spreads (i.e., by a bite from an infected mosquito, sexual transmission from an infected person, or an infected mother to the fetus) and following appropriate COVID behavior.

• Take steps first to control mosquitoes both inside and outside the house.

• Keep the windows and door screens preferably closed if an individual suspects places contaminated by mosquitoes outside their house.

• Wear long-sleeved clothes and long pants preferably.

• If homes or rooms are not air-conditioned or if an individual is sleeping outdoors, then sleep under mosquito bed nets only.

• Treat the clothing and gear with permethrin, or buy only pretreated items.

• Use insect repellants, but only those registered under the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), and follow the product label instructions and safety guidelines.

• In the case of young babies or infants, mosquito netting can be used to cover them in their cribs, strollers, or carriers so the baby is protected from mosquito bites.

• Sexual contact with an infected person should be avoided or prevented.

Other than following these common preventive measures, the waste management authorities, local bodies, and citizens can make an impact to prevent the spread of Zika from a community point of view in times when COVID-19 infections worsen the possibility of an individual's health status.

• Public body responsibility or local authorities should collect samples from the suspected cases and send them to the institute of virology or the respective laboratories for testing and surveillance in rural and urban areas.

• In pregnant women, the serum samples should be sent for lab tests if microcephaly in the fetus is detected in ultrasound scanning.

• Solid wastes should never be disposed of in domestic or residential areas by waste management authorities or responsible citizens. It will be a breeding ground in monsoon times for Aedes mosquitoes.

• Biologic control at the household and community levels is of utmost importance by vector management surveillance of mosquito larvae by the local waste management body or authorities.

Conclusion:

Zika virus infection in a COVID scenario is a cause of major concern. Zika virus infection contracted via the bite of Aedes mosquitoes is considered non-fatal and not life-threatening. It does not usually require hospitalization unless the symptoms of the infection worsen. However, the complications posed by pregnant women, young adults, and infants are risky to live with, and preventive measures to control the Zika virus infection on an individual, family, and community basis are the need of the hour.