Zika Virus Case Detected In Gujarat, Know How To Prevent It

A 70-year-old man from Gandhinagar contracted the Zika virus, for which he has received treatment in a hospital and has been discharged, as per the authorities. The report of the man contracting Zika virus came four days ago.

It is transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, the same ones known for dengue and chikungunya. They bite people during the day and night, and are most active in the hours after sunrise and before sunset. When the mosquitoes become infected and when they bite a person, the person then becomes infected too. As per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Zika virus can also spread through sex or to a fetus during pregnancy. Infection during pregnancy can cause birth defects.

The symptoms include rash, fever, conjunctivitis, muscle, and joint pain. In pregnancy, it can cause infants to be born with microcephaly and congenital malformations, as well as preterm birth and miscarriage.

After the man was admitted to the hospital, his fluid samples were sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune. As a precautionary measure, the health authorities also visited the area where the person lives and tested 500 people. For now, no one in the area has shown any symptoms of Zika infection.

As per the CDC, way to protect Zika virus is by preventing yourself from mosquito bites. Wearing clothes that cover your legs and arms, using mosquito repellent, and using condoms when having sex, or avoiding sex can help. CDC also notes that the timeframes that biological males and females can pass Zika virus through sex are different because the virus can stay in semen longer than in other bodily fluids.