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"It is too early to consider preventive measures, but we are monitoring the situation," said Ajay Chakrabarty, director of health services. Several cases of Zika have also been reported in Rajasthan. "Like dengue and chikungunya, Zika is an RNA virus that spreads easily but remains undetected. Symptoms include headache, joint pain, vomiting and high fever. Zika is not life threatening unless it is transmitted to the fetus by an infected mother. The unborn child could die or have congenital malformations, "said Debashish Saha, a consultant at AMRI Hospital.
Two outbreaks of zika were reported in India last year. But Bengal has remained largely unchanged until now. In 2016, the state's Department of Health had conducted a survey of newborns to determine if they were suffering from microcephaly – a disease that led to an abnormally small head.
"The symptoms of zika are difficult to distinguish from ordinary viral fever or dengue fever. But it's rarely fatal. It's very rare in our state, but as it happened in Bihar, we have to be careful. As we already have hundreds of dengue patients, an outbreak of zika could complicate things, "said Fortis Hospital Internal Medicine Specialist Joydeep Ghosh.
Zika virus infections during pregnancy have been associated with miscarriage and congenital anomalies, including microcephaly – a potentially life-threatening brain disorder. The Zika virus can also lead to other neurological disorders such as Guillain-Barré syndrome.
The treatment of Zika, like dengue, is symptomatic. "There is no specific drug for the virus. Patients need paracetamol to control fever and painkillers. As with dengue fever, parameters such as blood pressure, heart rate and vital organ function should be monitored continuously. Especially in the case of pregnant women because the virus can be transmitted through the uterus to the fetus, Saha said.
But experts said it could be risky to visit areas affected by a zika outbreak. "It's contagious like dengue, but it causes more neurological complications than haematological. The symptoms could last between two and seven days. Often, the disease remains asymptomatic. Since the Zika virus can be sexually transmitted, the spread occurs more quickly, "said consultant Arindam Biswas.
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