Govt advisory to states after rise in Zika virus cases in Maharashtra: ‘Maintain constant vigil, screen pregnant women’

The Central government on Wednesday, July 3, issued an advisory to all states in view of the rising Zika virus cases in Maharashtra. All states have been instructed to maintain constant vigilance over the situation in the country, focusing on screening pregnant women for the Zika virus and monitoring the growth of fetuses in expecting mothers who test positive for the infection.

Health facilities and hospitals have been directed to identify a nodal officer to monitor and act to keep their premises Aedes mosquito-free.

“States are urged to instruct the health facilities in the affected areas to screen the pregnant women for Zika virus infection, monitor the growth of the fetus of expecting mothers who have tested positive for Zika,” the govt advisory said.

Please note: 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.

The advisory further states that the states have been emphasised on the importance of “strengthening the entomological surveillance and intensifying the vector control activities in residential areas, workplaces, schools, construction sites, institutions and health facilities.”

The states have been asked to promote awareness on Zika virus through precautionary messages on social media and other platforms to reduce panic among the communities.

All state government have been urged to “immediately report any detected case to Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) and National Center for Vector Borne Diseases Control (NCVBDC).”

Zika is an Aedes mosquito-borne viral disease like dengue and chikungunya. Though non-fatal, Zika is associated with microcephaly (a condition where the head is much smaller than expected) in babies born to affected pregnant women which makes it a cause of major concern.

India reported its first Zika case in Gujarat in 2016. Since then, many states have registered Zika cases. A 55-year-old woman has been detected with Zika virus injection in Pune, taking the number of cases to seven. The city had on Monday, July 1, reported six cases of the infection, and two of the patients were pregnant women.