(Image source from: technologynetworks.com)

When the nation is completely shattered due to the coronavirus pandemic and India is currently in recovering mode. Kerala now announced about the first Zika virus case. Zika virus is a mosquito-borne viral infection. The virus is detected in a 24-year-old pregnant women in Kerala's capital Thiruvananthapuram. The doctors revealed that her health condition is stable. The pregnant woman who was tested with Zika virus is undergoing treatment in a private hospital and she has been showing symptoms since June 28th. She delivered a baby on June 7th and the health condition of the baby girl is stable. The pregnant woman had no travel history in the recent weeks.

There are 13 suspects who got contracted with the zika virus and their samples are sent to the National Institute of Virology in Pune. Fever, conjunctivitis, rashes on the skin, muscle and joint pains along with headache are the major symptoms of Zika virus. It is spread through the Aedes species of mosquitoes. They are also the carriers of dengue. Zika virus is linked to the development of Guillain-Barre syndrome. In these cases, the immune system attacks the nerves of the human body. Zika virus is harmful in pregnant women as it can harm the developing foetus and it can also lead to congenital anomalies. As of now, there is no vaccine for Zika virus and it was first traced in Uganda's Zika forest in the year 1947.

By Siva Kumar