ZIKA VIRUS A THREAT OR A RUMOUR YOU NEED TO KNOW

WHY IS THIS OUTBREAK

What made government of El Salvador to advice don’t get pregnant for the next two years? Officials in Columbia, Ecuador and Jamaica have also warned women to avoid pregnancy, although only for several months.

The reason for these peculiar recommendations? An epidemic Zika virus, currently raging in 21 countries in the Americas and the Caribbean, as well as the U.S Virgin Islands, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Samoa and Cape Verde.Soon after this outbreak, World Health Organisation declared this a Global Emergency.

WHAT IS ZIKA VIRUS AND ITS SYMPTOMS

The virus, known as Zika, has rattled whole Brazil, where more than a million people have been infected and nearly 4,000 babies have been born with microcephaly, a rare condition in which babies have unusually small heads. Zika may also leads to Guillain-Barre syndrome, an autoimmune disease,resulting in widespread weakness and paralysis. Infection with Zika virus is usually mild but ,unfortunately, has severe complications which make it a menace to public health.

It was first discovered in 1947, when scientists studying yellow fever in the Zika forests of Uganda. In 1958, It was confirmed that Zika is spread by the bite of Aedes mosquitoes. (Zika can also be sexually transmitted.) Two-third of the patients lost their ability to walk and 25% need to be put on the mechanical ventilator due to weakness in the respiratory muscles. Although most people recovered but still 20% are unable to walk at 6 months after diagnosis.

The common symptoms are mild fever and skin rash, usually accompanied by conjunctivitis, muscle or joint pain, and general malaise that begins 2 - 7 days after the bite of an infected mosquito.

Hitherto, Zika was an obscure virus with no vaccination but finally India broke the outbreak.In an important “Make in India” moment, scientists from hyderabad lab say they have developed the world’s first vaccine against the Zika Virus.

INDIA IS ONE STEP AHEAD

“Since many parts of India have poor mosquito control, these areas remain vulnerable if infected person reaches those region and exposed to mosquitoes” said Dr. Vivekanand Jha, Executive Director, The George Institute for Global Health.

Soon after his statement Indian scientists have made India proud. Using a live Zika virus imported officially, the Hyderabad company, Bharat Biotech, has now developed two candidate vaccines, but taking them through animal and human trials could be a long haul. Dr. Ella said he had sought the government’s support on this and the Indian Council of Medical Research(ICMR) has stepped forward to help.

Dr Ella from Bharat Biotech said his company can make one million doses of the vaccine in four months. He has sought direct intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure that the vaccine’s development and delivery is fast- tracked, cutting through the red tape of regulatory clearances, pointing out that the vaccine can help affected countries especially Brazil, one of its BRICS nations.

Once again India is one step ahead.India’s intervention has again made India a proud nation in global emergency.