Dengue cases high in Andhra Pradesh

Visakhapatnam: Notwithstanding the successive governments’ tall claims, dengue and chikungunya cases continue to rattle Andhra Pradesh – if the number of cases registered over the last few years is anything is anything to go by.

As the dengue, chikungunya, yellow fever and Zika virus (which has been currently gripping the world) are spread through the same Aedes mosquito, prevention measures have found great importance before the Zika virus makes its official entry into India.

Going by the statistics provided by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the number of dengue cases had never crossed the 2,000 mark, other than in 2012, even in the United AP.  In 2015, the number of cases has seen a multi-fold surge from 1,262 in 2014 to 3,105. About 790 chikungunya cases were also registered in 2015. Dr. Ramana Rao, a senior physician, opined the Zika epidemic is just a flight away. “As the world has become a global village, we cannot deny the possibility of Zika virus being imported to India. The disease is spread through the bite of an infected Aedes aegyptyi.

India slow to wake up to zika:

As the Zika virus is spreading explosively in various countries, the WHO put various countries under its scanner, including India. With the WHO’s warning, the Union government formed a technical committee to frame guidelines to clampdown the virus and monitor its spread in other countries. But despite thousands of Indians coming from South American countries everyday, no passive screening centres were set up at airports in India as of yet, which could help break the chain of Zika virus in India. The neighbouring Sri Lanka has already started Zika screening centres.

As about 4000 babies in Brazil were born with microcephaly (a relatively small head in kids) between October 2015 and January 2016, the Zika virus has caught the sudden attention of the world; the mothers of the babies were tested positive for the Zika virus. It was also said that the virus can result in neurologic disorders such Guillain–Barré syndrome in adults along with other symptoms.

The health experts urged the pregnant women to defer their journey to the Zika-prone countries. “Pregnant women and people with co-morbid conditions, such as hypertension, diabetes and heart problems, should consult their physician before leaving for the Zika-prevalent countries. People should avoid mosquito bites by using the mosquito nets and repellents and wearing full-sleeved clothes,” said Dr. Ramana Rao.