Surat: Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) has received a general advisory from the health department of Government of Gujarat about Zika virus, which is caused by the bite of Aedes mosquitoes.The health department issued the alert after 65 cases of Zika virus were detected in Rajasthan.Aedes mosquitoes’ bite also causes dengue and many cases of dengue regularly occur in South Gujarat, including Surat city. Fever, rash, headache, joint pain, muscle pain or red eyes are some of the symptoms of Zika virus.Dr Ashish Naik, deputy commissioner of health, SMC, said, “ We have received a general advisory about Zika virus. We are taking all the precautions but there is little possibility of the virus appearing here.”“People die very rarely due to Zika. People infected with the virus may not need to be admitted to hospital. A person who has been infected with Zika once, may not get it again,” said a doctor. He, however, said it could be risky for pregnant women because it could lead to congenital malformations in the babies. There is no medicine for Zika but it can be prevented if people save themselves from mosquito bite.“We don’t need to worry about Zika. But if a pregnant woman gets bitten by a mosquito and is infected with Zika virus, then there is a possibility of she giving birth to a baby with congenital anomalies. Zika is less dangerous than dengue,” said Dr Ashok Kapse, a paediatrician.In pregnant women, Zika virus can lead to microcephaly, a medical condition in which the foetus’ brain does not develop properly, which ultimately results in a smaller head of the newborn than normal.

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