Five Karnataka Villages Come Under Surveillance After Zika Virus Outbreak

Relevance: GS2 - Issues relating to the development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health

(Source: The Hindu, 11/04/2023)

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Why in the news?

• Recently, the Karnataka Health Department has stepped up surveillance after a mosquito pool in Chickballapur was found to be positive for Zika virus.
• It was stated that an area of 5 km diameter should be notified as the ‘Containment Zone’ whenever a human positive or mosquito pool is tested positive for Zika virus.

About Zika Virus

• It is a vector-borne flavivirus and is transmitted by the bite of infected Aedes mosquitoes, mainly Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus.
• It was first identified in the Zika Forest of Uganda in 1947.

Transmission

• It can also spread through sexual contact, blood transfusion, and from an infected mother to her baby during pregnancy or childbirth.
• It can also be transmitted sexually.

Symptoms

• Many people infected with this virus do not experience any symptoms (asymptomatic).
• When symptoms do occur, they are often mild and include fever, rash, joint pain, muscle pain, headache, and red eyes (conjunctivitis).
• Symptoms typically appear two to seven days after being bitten by an infected mosquito and can last for several days to a week.
• Infection during pregnancy can lead to birth defects such as microcephaly, as well as other neurological disorders in the baby.
• Treatment: There is no specific treatment available for Zika virus infection or disease.

What are related government initiatives and programmes?

• Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme: To strengthen/maintain decentralized laboratory based and IT enabled disease surveillance systems for epidemic prone diseases to monitor disease trends.
• National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme: The central nodal agency for prevention and control of six vector borne diseases i.e. Malaria, Dengue, Lymphatic Filariasis, Kala-azar, Japanese Encephalitis and Chikungunya in India.
• Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK): It is an initiative under the National Health Mission, has a surveillance for Microcephaly (system for monitoring birth defects).

Conclusion

The discovery of Zika virus in Chickballapur, Karnataka, highlights the importance of the 5 km "Containment Zone." Government initiatives, like the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme and the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme, play a crucial role in disease prevention. Collaborative efforts are vital to protect public health and prevent the virus's spread.

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FAQs

MCQs

Question: Consider the following statements: (UPSC 2017)

1. In tropical regions, Zika virus disease is transmitted by the same mosquito that transmits dengue.
2. Sexual transmission of Zika virus disease is possible.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2