Is UP Zika’s new home in India?

Lucknow: On October 16, a 55-year old Indian air force officer decided not to take his fever lightly. He visited the IAF hospital in Kanpur Cantonment for treatment as he was not just suffering from fever. He even had rashes on his body and pain in joints and muscles.

Doctors prescribed the primary line of treatment comprising antibiotics, anti-allergic and anti-pyretics. A week went by but there was little relief. On the contrary, the patient grew weaker. His sample was then sent to the microbiology lab at SGPGI Lucknow and National Institute of Virology, Pune, for assessment.

On October 23, the patient was declared UP’s first case of Zika virus infection. Since then the state’s Zika tally has swelled to 125 with 121 cases in Kanpur alone. Other cases are in Lucknow (3) and Kannauj (1). Among the affected are three pregnant women, 18 children under 12 years of age and 11 IAF personnel. Two cases were detected in Lucknow on Thursday.

State on high alert

On October 23 itself the UP government issued an advisory on Zika virus. Marked to district and health chiefs, the order issued by director general medical and health Dr Ved Vrat Singh apprised officials about the vector-borne disease and directed them to keep vigil on suspected cases, draw a detailed micro-plan of action, organize training of health staff, assess availability and requirement of logistics, undertake fresh entomological survey and alert hospitals to notify any suspected cases.

Officials at the integrated diseases surveillance programme rolled out a separate strategy for Kanpur. Additional chief secretary, health and family welfare, Amit Mohan Prasad, said aggressive contact tracing, surveillance and monitoring activities have been launched in the district.

Two days later, on October 25, the Union health ministry sent a multidisciplinary team comprising an entomologist, public health specialists and gynaecologist to take stock of the situation in Kanpur and extend help to state authorities in containment. Two other teams from the Centre and four teams from the state have visited Kanpur and Kannauj.

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath is keeping an eye on the situation daily. On Wednesday, he also paid a visit to the affected areas in Kanpur.

Health minister Jai Pratap Singh, who accompanied the CM, claimed that all efforts were being taken to contain Zika and urged people to cooperate with the health staff. “The role of people is crucial here. While the government is doing its bit, adherence to prevention protocol and flagging the system in case of any complication lies in their hands,” he said.

Surveillance underway

State surveillance officer Dr Vikasendu Agarwal said: “Of the total cases in Kanpur, 17 have recovered which leaves the district with 88 active cases. The surveillance area has been expanded to a radius of 3km from the first case.” About the entomological survey, he said that 246 mosquitoes isolated from the affected area have been sent to National Institute of Malaria Research (NIMR) in Delhi. “Vector control activities have been launched even as the report from NIMR is awaited,” he said, adding that nearly 5,000 samples of suspected patients from Kanpur, Kannauj and half a dozen neighbouring districts have been sent for analysis.

Locals on the guard

While the containment strategy is on, locals remain concerned. “The disease has been reported in Kanpur for the first time. This is bound to create panic,” said Sonu Jaiswal, a resident of Pokharpurwa. Businessman in Shyamnagar Farea, araz Ansari, said: “Some of my relatives are also under scanner. Fever seems scary now. The biggest challenge is to differentiate between normal fever and what is something else.”