Jaipur: State’s first case of Zika has been detected from Sawai Man Singh (SMS) hospital, in Jaipur. National Institute of Virology (NIV) confirmed that a 85-year-old woman, a resident of Jaipur, has tested positive for Zika virus infection.The NIV extracted RNA from the patient’s samples of serum and urine, which the SMS Medical College sent to NIV.The NIV conducted two tests using real-time Reverse Transcriptase chain reaction and CDC Trioplex real-time RTPCR tests for Zika virus detection. “Results of both the real-time RTPCR and CDC Trioplex assays showed detection of Zika virus RNA in the serum and urine samples, as well as in the RNA extract provided,” the NIV’s letter informing about the Zika case to Indian Council of Medical Research, a copy of which is in the possession of TOI. The letter was issued by NIV on Friday.“All tests performed on samples of the serum, urine and RNA extract of serum from the patient confirmed positivity for Zika virus genome,” the report says.SMS Medical college had sent the samples of urine and serum of the patient as doctors had suspected that she might be suffering from Zika.According to the NIV report, the patient had a history of fever for 10 days starting from September 5. She was brought to the hospital with complaints of joint pain, redness of eyes, weakness and body ache. The patient was also complaining of drowsiness.However, it was also found that the patient did not travel to any other country and also she was not in contact with other such symptomatic patients.But, she frequently complained of fainting every three-four months and seizures since the past one-and-a-half year.She was admitted to the hospital on September 11 with a diagnosis of neurological disorder. Blood and urine samples were collected on September 15.Suspecting Zika virus infection, the SMS medical college conducted the test initially at the state Viral Research and Diagnostic Laboratories (VRDL), that revealed positivity for Zika virus RNA in the serum and urine samples of the patient.However, for further confirmation, the SMS medical college sent the samples to ICMR-NIV Pune for confirmatory testing. The NIV-Pune received the samples on September 18.According to health experts, Zika virus has symptomatic treatment. “The symptoms of Zika virus are mild fever, skin rash, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain, malaise or headache. Zika virus is more dangerous for pregnant women as it affects the growth of brain of the baby in the womb. So, if a woman is pregnant in Zika-affected area, she needs to remain more cautious,” said Dr C L Nawal, senior professor (medicine), SMS Hospital.Deadly virus:— The mosquito which transmits Zika virus, is Aedes aegypti— According to the WHO, on May 15, 2017, the ministry of health and family welfare (MoHFW) reported three laboratory-confirmed cases of Zika virus disease in Bapunagar area, Ahmedabad District, Gujarat, State, India— Country’s first Zika case was a 34-year-old female, who delivered a clinically-well baby at BJMC in Ahmedabad on November 9, 2016. During her hospital stay, she developed a low-grade fever after delivery. No history of fever during pregnancy and no history of travel for the past three months was reported. A sample from the patient was referred to the Viral Research & Diagnostic Laboratory (VRDL) at the BJMC for dengue testing and thereafter was found to be positive for Zika virus.—World Health Organization declared Zika virus disease to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on February 1, 2016, based on the temporal association of Zika virus infection with Microcephaly (a condition where a newborn baby’s head is much smaller than expected) and other neurological syndromes (Guillain Barre Syndrome)—A majority of those infected with Zika virus disease either remain asymptomatic (up to 80%) or show mild symptoms of fever, rash, conjunctivitis, body ache, joint pains etc. Based on the available information of previous outbreaks, severe forms of disease requiring hospitalization, are uncommon and fatalities are rare, says the Action Plan for managing Zika Virus disease, issued by emergency medical relief, directorate general of health services, MoHFW.

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