It is a viral disease caused by the Zika virus which is spread when a mosquito bites and infects a human. In the recent news, the Zika virus outbreak in Kerala has added to the troubles amid rising COVID_19 cases. Read News here.
The virus was first spotted in monkeys in Uganda in 1947. It was only in 1952 that it was found in humans.
The virus is primarily transmitted by infected mosquitoes from the Aedes genus, mainly Aedes aegypti. The Aedes mosquitoes are also infamous for spreading dengue, chikungunya, and yellow fever. They bite and infect during the daytime, mostly during the early morning or later afternoon.
Apart from the mosquitoes, an infected person can also spread this Zika virus. A pregnant woman who is infected can also transmit the viral disease to the fetus, through sexual contact, transfusion of blood. Also, the spread can take place through the transmission of blood products, and organ transplantation.
Symptoms of the Zika virus:
The symptoms include fever, rash, conjunctivitis, muscle-joint pain, headache. It lasts for about 2 -7 days. It’s also observed that many of the infected people do not develop any symptoms.
Measures to control such diseases:
- Integrated Disease Surveillance Project (IDSP): It is an initiative by the government of India to strengthen/maintain decentralized laboratory based IT enabled disease surveillance system for epidemic prone diseases to monitor disease trends and to detect and respond to outbreaks in early rising phase through trained Rapid Response Team (RRTs).
- Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK): It is a program under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare to improve the quality of life for children upto the age of 18 years. It primarily screens the children for 4 D’s : Defects at birth, Diseases, Deficiencies and Development delays.
- National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme: This program is launched for the prevention and control of major Vector Borne Diseases like filaria, malaria, kala azar, dengue, Japenese Encephilitis. It was launched in 2003 by merging the National anti-malaria control programme, National Filaria Control Programme and Kala Azar Control programmes. Japanese B Encephalitis and Dengue/DHF. Read more here
UPSC MCQ’s
Which of the following is the genome of the virus?
(a) DNA
(b) RNA
(c) DNA or RNA
(d) DNA and RNA
Ans (c)
The viral envelope is made up of _______.
(a) Proteins
(b) Glycoproteins
(c) Lipids and Proteins
(d) All of the above
Ans (d)
Which of the following statements are true about the viruses?
(a) Free-living
(b) Obligate parasites
(c) Both (a) and (b)
(d) None of the above
Ans(b)
The genetic constituent of viruses is ________.
(a) RNA
(b) DNA
(c) ss DNA
(d) DNA or RNA
Ans. (d)
A virus is made up of _______.
(a) Protein coat and nucleic acid
(b) Protein coat and mitochondria
(c) Nucleic acid and cell membrane
(d) Nucleic acid, cell wall, and cell membrane
Ans (a)
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