ZIKA ALERT SOUNDED IN UP, AIRPORTS ASKED TO MAINTAIN VIGIL

LUCKNOW: In view of the growing number of Zika virus cases in Rajasthan, an alert has been sounded in Uttar Pradesh, especially at airports in the state.

Director, communicable diseases (UP), Dr Mithilesh Chaturvedi said there was a need to keep a strict watch on people suffering from fever.

“Aedes aegypti, the mosquito that transmits dengue virus, also spreads Zika virus. The mosquito is widely prevalent here,” he said.

Dr Chaturvedi has alerted the Airport Authority of India (AAI) to take preventive measures at Lucknow airport and other airports in the state.

Health authorities in Lucknow have also issued an advisory for Zika virus not only for the airport but also for the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) and chief medical officer (CMO).

According to health directorate officials, the disease has not been reported in the city as of now.

“Many people infected with Zika virus remain asymptomatic. Around 80 per cent of patients show mild symptoms of body ache, conjunctivitis, fever, rashes and joint pains. Any patient having fever, especially coming from infected areas

of Rajasthan, must be monitored carefully,” Dr Chaturvedi said.

He said the AAI should ensure proper examination of passengers complaining of fever, maculopapular rash (a rash characterised by a flat, red area on the skin covered with small bumps) or any other associated symptom.

“Any passenger returning from Rajasthan should be examined carefully before being allowed to enter the city,” he said.

An official at Lucknow airport, who did not wish to be named, said: “The Lucknow airport is on high alert when it comes to Zika virus. A team of doctors at the airport is on alert.”

Official on special duty, Lucknow airport, Sanjay Narain said AAI would follow the guidelines issued by the health department and district administration. Municipal commissioner, Lucknow, Indramani Tripathi said, “The guidelines regarding Zika virus will be fully implemented. We will carry out antimosquito drives in the city with the help of district malaria officer.”

Zika virus causes fever, skin rashes, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain and is harmful to pregnant women, as it can lead to microcephaly, a condition in which a baby’s head is significantly smaller in newborns.