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Business News/ Politics / Policy/  Zika: Health ministry issues guidelines; Kerala, Tamil Nadu asked to be vigilant
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Zika: Health ministry issues guidelines; Kerala, Tamil Nadu asked to be vigilant

The National Centre for Disease Control in Delhi has been made the nodal agency for investigation of an outbreak in any part of the country

An aedes aegypti mosquito is pictured on a leaf in San Jose, Costa Rica on 1 February. Photo: ReutersPremium
An aedes aegypti mosquito is pictured on a leaf in San Jose, Costa Rica on 1 February. Photo: Reuters

New Delhi: The Union health ministry on Tuesday issued guidelines on the Zika virus disease, urging Kerala and Tamil Nadu to be extra vigilant.

The two southern states are facing an upsurge in dengue cases. Zika and dengue are spread by the same mosquito, Aedes aegypti.

The National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in Delhi has been made the nodal agency for investigation of an outbreak in any part of the country. NCDC and the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune have the capacity to provide laboratory diagnosis of the Zika virus disease.

In addition, the ministry has asked the Indian Council of Medical Research to equip 10 more laboratories for Zika virus diagnosis.

The ministry swung into action after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared Zika a global emergency on Monday.

According to the WHO, the virus has been reported in 22 countries and territories in the Americas. It has the potential for further international spread given the wide geographical distribution of the mosquito which transmits it, a lack of immunity in the population in newly affected areas and the high volume of international travel.

“As of now, the disease has not been reported in India. However, the mosquito that transmits Zika virus, Aedes aegypti, also transmits the dengue virus and is widely prevalent in India," said the health ministry in a statement.

In the guidelines, citizens have been advised to avoid travelling to affected countries unless necessary, especially pregnant women as the virus affects foetuses the most. People already suffering from chronic diseases and immune disorders have been advised to consult their doctors before travelling to an affected country.

All international airlines have been instructed to follow aircraft disinfection guidelines.

Various wings of the ministry, such as the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme and maternal and child health division will track cases of microcephaly among newborns and Guillain Barre Syndrome, diseases caused by the Zika virus. They will alert the ministry if a high number of such cases are reported from a particular area.

Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, regional director, South-East Asia, WHO, recommended that countries in the region build capacity in their laboratories to detect the virus and strengthen surveillance for cases of fever and rash, neurological syndromes and birth defects.

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Published: 02 Feb 2016, 07:38 PM IST
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