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Singapore Zika cases put state, BMC on alert

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has intensified its vector control programme and said that if any cases of Zika fever are detected, those people will be kept in isolation at its Kasturba hospital.

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A day after 41 people in Singapore were reported to have locally transmitted the Zika virus, the state government has asked its health officials to stay alert. State health minister Dr Deepak Sawant said that although there is nothing to worry about, hospitals have been asked to create isolation wards.

"We are in regular touch with the National Institute of Virology in Pune. We have asked the hospitals to create isolation wards. We have also alerted the doctors and told them to keep a watch on possible spread of infection and alert their respective corporations," said Sawant.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has intensified its vector control programme and said that if any cases of Zika fever are detected, those people will be kept in isolation at its Kasturba hospital.

Earlier this year, the state's health department held Zika virus preparedness meetings.

"We have intensified our surveillance in the areas that had reported maximum number of dengue cases and aedes aegypti breeding sites. Aedes aegypti breeding spots are found round the year but less in non-monsoon period," said Rajan Naringrekar, BMC's pesticide officer.

He added that on a daily basis, the department detects and destroys more than 200 aegypti breeding spots in the city. "Each spot has more than 100 larvae. Fogging activities have been carried out in more than 1,322 premises and 16,257 huts. We have conducted aedes survey in 4,873 localities and inspected as many as 2,60,001 households; 718 were found to have breeding spots," said Naringrekar.

He also said that Mumbaikars' cooperation is crucial for controlling the breeding of mosquitoes.

"We have found breeding spots in water storage drums, feng shui plants, plates or bowls generally kept for feeding pets, etc. We need people's cooperation for vector control," said Naringrekar.

The virus

Zika virus is transmitted by the aedes aegypti mosquito. It was first identified in 1947 in rhesus monkeys in Uganda and was first identified in human beings in 1952 in Uganda and Tanzania, according to WHO. Outbreaks of Zika fever have been recorded in Africa, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific.

Symptoms

The symptoms are similar to dengue and chikungunya as the diseases spread through the same mosquito. Most common are mild fever, conjunctivitis (red eyes), headache, rashes and muscle or joint pain.

About one in five people fall ill when infected with the zika virus.

Treatment

Till now no vaccines or medication has not been found to treat the disease.
Once can the treat symptoms by...
Getting plenty of rest.
Drinking fluids to prevent dehydration.
Taking acetaminophen to relieve fever and pain.
Avoiding aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Prevention

The best way to prevent the virus from spreading infection is to control mosquitoes biting people. Special attention should be given to children. Clean water stored in containers should be regularly replaced.

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