Three more persons have tested positive for Zika virus (ZIKV), taking the total number of infections reported so far to 18.
So far, lab-confirmed diagnosis of ZIKV has been reported only from Thiruvananthapuram. However, given the high density of Aedes species of mosquitoes across the State, the virus could be in circulation across the State.
ZIKV was confirmed in three of the eight samples sent from a private hospital in the city, from where the first ZIKV case had been reported, to the lab in Coimbatore. Two of the samples are of patients who had sought treatment at the private hospital, including that of a 10-month-old infant. The third sample belongs to a hospital staff.
Of the 27 samples sent by the State earlier to NIV, Alappuzha, 26 had tested negative. The eight samples, of which three turned out to be positive, were part of the third lot of samples.
Senior Health officials said the focus of the control measures would be on the screening of all pregnant women with fever symptoms as well as initiation of mosquito control measures on a war footing, especially in localities from where the infection was detected.
Alert to scan centres
As microcephaly (a condition in which a baby’s head is smaller in size than normal because of abnormal brain development) caused by ZIKV infection in pregnant women is the primary public health concern, the district administration has sent an alert to ultrasound scan centres and all gynaecologists that special attention be paid to the foetal biometric parameters at the scan at 6-8 weeks.
Sources said that fever with rashes, red eyes and joint pain was being reported in the district from several urban locations since the past four or five months. But as all the samples tested negative for both dengue and chikungunya, not much thought had been given to it.
“The possibility of ZIKV never struck us. The symptoms overlap with other viral fevers and that unless one specifically tests for ZIKV, we cannot confirm it,” an official said.
Central team arrives
A six-member team from the Centre, including epidemiologists, microbiologists and public health experts, which arrived in the State, discussed with State Health officials the control measures to be adopted and the surveillance studies, both serological and entomological, to be initiated as part of the action plan to check the spread of ZIKV.
They are expected to visit the private hospital in the city which had reported the first ZIKV infection as well as field sites from where the disease was reported.
Diagnostic strengthened
Meanwhile, Health Minister Veena George said the microbiology labs in Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur and Kozhikode Government Medical Colleges and the NIV unit in Alappuzha are being equipped for ZIKV diagnosis. The State is distributing the PCR diagnostic kits it received from NIV Pune to these labs.
Diagnosis of ZIKV is a challenge in areas where there is simultaneous transmission of dengue and chikungunya viruses.
Hence, to facilitate diagnosis of ZIKV and to differentiate it from dengue and chikungunya viruses, 500 trioplex real time PCR assay kits are being supplied to the lab at Thiruvananthapuram MCH, apart from 500 singleplex PCR assays, which can diagnose ZIKV alone.
The other three labs are being supplied singleplex PCR kits.
