Following global tour, Zika virus knocks Indian doors

After wreaking havoc in many countries, Zika virus has now entered India. On 15 May 2017, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare-Government of India (MoHFW) reported three laboratory-confirmed cases of Zika virus disease in Bapunagar area, Ahmedabad District, Gujarat.

World Health Organisation (WHO) has confirmed the cases, adding that efforts should be made to strengthen surveillance. The WHO said there was significant risk of the further spread of the virus and recommended that governments push ahead with efforts to control mosquitoes.

 The World Health Organization said in a statement Friday that the three cases that India reported to the WHO on May 15 were detected through routine blood surveillance in a hospital in Ahmadabad, Gujarat's capital. Two cases were detected in February and November last year, while a third case was detected in January this year.

On February 1, 2016, WHO had declared Zika a "public health emergency of international concern", requiring a coordinated international response.

Zika virus has no cure or vaccine so far and is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes. People affected with the virus typically do not show many symptoms, thus making it tough for the surveillance systems to detect and prevent cases. Zika was first identified in 1947, the virus wasn't considered a major health threat until a major outbreak in Brazil in 2015 revealed that it can lead to severe birth defects when pregnant women are infected.

Babies born to Zika-infected mothers have been found to have microcephaly, or a birth defect where the head is abnormally small and brains might not have developed properly.

Over crowding, poverty, lack of sanitation and hygiene, travellers and warming that prolongs mosquito season are some of the major concerns that make India vulnerable to the Zika virus.

The WHO recommends prevention and control measures by reducing mosquitoes populations by removing breeding sites, which are largely bodies of stagnant water, and reducing contact between mosquitoes and people. Health authorities may resort to spraying insecticides in case of outbreaks.

The WHO also recommends basic precautions to be taken by people traveling to high risk areas, especially pregnant women. These include use of repellents, wearing light colored, long sleeved shirts and pants and ensuring rooms are fitted with screens to prevent mosquitoes from entering. The WHO has not suggested any travel or trade restriction to India. A Zika virus outbreak hit South America in 2015 and 2016. Brazil, the worst-affected country, announced the end of its national Zika emergency only on May 12 this year after a sharp drop in the number of cases.