Zika virus: Tamil Nadu, Karnataka intensify checking at borders with Kerala

The Tamil Nadu government has intensified checking at the borders with Kerala following the Zika virus outbreak. However, as per the Tamil Nadu health minister, the state has not received any case of zika virus, so far. He said, "People coming into the state from Kerala are being screened for the virus".

State's Coimbatore district administration has intensified vehicle-check on the Tamil Nadu- Kerala border. A tight vigil was maintained at 14 strategic points and checkpoints at Walayar and Meenakshipuram, according to the news agency PTI.

"We have 7 lakh vaccines in stock. No cases of Zika virus detected in the state so far. People coming into the state from Kerala are being screened for the virus," Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian said on Monday.

Apart from Tamil Nadu, the Karnataka government has also instructed its officials' vector control measures in the state.

The districts of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Chamarajanagara, bordering Kerala, have been asked to be more vigilant.

"In view of reporting of Zika Virus Disease (ZVD) in the neighboring State of Kerala, it is crucial to intensify the vector control measures in Karnataka also. The current monsoon season supports the widespread proliferation of Aedes mosquito, which is a vector for Zika Virus Disease," a circular by the Commissionerate of Health & Family Welfare Services said.

Considering the prevalence of "Aedes aegypti" in Karnataka, which is a vector of Dengue, Chikungunya as well as Zika, it said, the routine surveillance activity in rural areas by ASHA and Health Assistants should be implemented on war-footing mode with strict monitoring and supervision.

So far, Kerala has reported 15 cases of Zika virus.

Zika virus is spread through the bite of the Aedes mosquito but can also be sexually transmitted, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

No vaccines or anti-viral drugs are available as prevention or cure.

Zika virus symptoms include fever, skin rashes, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain, but fatalities are rare.

India also saw Zika outbreaks in 2017 and 2018, with hundreds of cases reported in Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh.