What is Zika Virus that is affecting North India?

Recently, India has been struck with a viral infection called Zika. It is a mosquito-borne virus carried by the infected Aedes species of mosquitoes, that only bite during the day. States in the northern part of India like Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab and Delhi are the most affected regions. In fact, Kanpur has been recording a tremendous rise in the number of Zika virus victims since the first week of November.  

Symptoms of Zika Viral Infection  
There are multiple symptoms of Zika virus infection. These include mild to moderate fever, skin rashes, eye infection like conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain and headache or malaise. The symptoms usually last for 2 to 7 days, while the incubation period is 3 to 14 days, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). This organisation has cautioned Indians due to the sudden surge in the number of infected people. However, since most people do not show any sign of symptoms during the early stage, it is often hard to be treated. In fact, it may even turn fatal in case of children, old people and others with low immunity if not diagnosed properly.  

Line of Treatment  
According to WHO, there is as such no particular vaccine or medicine for Zika virus. However, doctors at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) have laid out certain diagnosis plan for the said viral infection. Medicines such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) must be consumed twice a day (or as per doctor’s recommendation), to check the fever and joint aches. However, if the fever continues to remain high, the patient must be rushed to the nearby hospital immediately. Moreover, drinking sufficient fluids and taking ample amount of rest are must. However, aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines (such as NSAIDS) must be avoided at all cost, to reduce the risk of internal bleeding.  

How to prevent the infection?  
Since the cause of this viral infection is a certain breed of mosquitos, it is hard to prevent it completely. However, certain precautionary measures can be taken. These include better sanitation facilities, improved hygiene, and staying away from mosquito breeding grounds.