Report Zika virus cases, if any: Health dept to dist staff
kolkata: In the wake of at least 14 Zika virus cases found in Kerala, the state Health department has directed all the district health officials to strengthen surveillance against such cases. The district health officials will have to report to Swasthya Bhawan, if they come across any Zika virus infection cases.
All Chief Medical Officers of Health (CMoHs) from the districts have been alerted against mosquito-borne Zika virus.
According to Health department sources, the district officials have been advised to take special measures for children and elderly patients. During the rainy season, many other mosquito-borne diseases appear and hence all the CMoHs have been directed to remain vigilant. The Director of Health Services (DHS) Dr Ajay Chakraborty has written a letter to the district officials in this regard. An on-going surveillance mechanism is already in place. The Health department also issued a directive to the CMoHs saying that steps must be taken immediately if any patients complain about eye infection along with fever and body aches. The experts have, however, pointed out that there is nothing to panic as the patients will recover within a week if timely treatment is provided.
The symptoms of Zika are similar to dengue including fever, skin rashes and joint pain. Zika can be passed from a pregnant woman to her foetus. Infection during pregnancy can cause certain birth defects. Zika infection can affect the nervous system as the patient's own immune system starts attacking nerve cells, causing muscle weakness and sometimes paralysis, experts pointed out.
Zika is mostly spread by the bite of infected Aedes species mosquitoes. The breeding sites of the Aedes mosquitoes can pose serious risk for Zika virus infection. Preventive steps had been taken by the Health department after Zika infected cases were reported from Kerala and other states. Health department has constituted an expert committee to seek suggestions from time to time in this regard.
