The people of Kanpur were yet to get over their fear of Covid 19 when another virus showed up. This time it’s the Zika virus and it’s been spreading across the city. Mosquitoes are the primary carriers of this virus, and it gets transmitted from person to person through mosquito bites. In some cases, even after being infected with the virus, the patient shows no signs or symptoms whatsoever. 

With the Covid pandemic still far from over, naturally, the people of Kanpur are worried about the Zika virus spreading in their city and taking on an epidemic form. Indian Masterminds talked with DM Kanpur, Vishakh Iyer, to know about the Zika panic and its actual spread.

THE 4S MODEL

The first case of the Zika virus was reported in Kanpur on 22 October on an Indian Air Force personnel. As soon as the case was discovered, an emergency meeting was held in the city, which included the medical department, the district administration, and staff from the Municipal Corporation (Nagar Nigam) of Kanpur.

“We discussed the virus and a 4S Model was enforced in the city. The model included Surveillance, Sampling, Source Reduction, and Sanitisation. Under the model, a door-to-door survey was conducted to identify primary and secondary contacts of the virus. Samples were taken of suspected people and 100 Nagar Nigam teams were deployed to find and eliminate aquatic breeding sources of mosquito as the disease is spread mostly through bites of an infected Aedes species mosquito,” Mr. Iyer told Indian Masterminds.

He also informed that an additional team of officers was sent out to sensitize people about the virus and its symptoms. 

STATS AND FIGURES

The Kanpur District Administration has covered the survey of more than 1.2 lakh people in the city already. More than 4000 tests have been conducted and 853 primary and secondary contacts have been identified. 

“There’s been a total of 123 cases of Zika in the city, out which 86 cases are active and 39 came out negative.”

CONCERN FOR PREGNANT WOMEN

Zika virus can be passed from a pregnant woman to her fetus which is a cause of concern as an infection during pregnancy can cause birth defects. A total of 300 pregnant women were tested for the Zika virus, and out of them, four women came out positive for the virus. 

“The women are under close monitoring. Ultrasound and tests have been done and fetuses will be monitored over time to check their development,” Mr. Iyer said.

DEDICATED RESPONSE CENTERS

To deal with patients affected by the Zika virus, specially dedicated wards have been appointed in all the big government and private hospitals of the city. Moreover, a dedicated call center has been opened with four incoming and four outgoing lines. Through the lines, patients can report symptoms and demand testing for the virus.

The administration is regularly talking with patients and the DM himself is personally meeting the patients daily to send out a message that there’s no need to be scared of catching the virus by physical proximity to an infected person. 

“I would like to bring to the knowledge of people that the virus is a non-communicable disease and cannot be spread from person to person. After the Covid pandemic, people are naturally too scared about viruses. This is why, I am personally going to the homes of infected people and meeting with the patients to send out a positive message,” the DM told Indian Masterminds.

The team of doctors at the block levels, engaged in contact tracing and testing, has been asked to counsel those found positive with the infection prior to isolation. After counseling, these people are being isolated at home or in institutions. The team has been promoting the use of mosquito nets at home, wearing full pants and full sleeves clothing, apart from conducting fogging and spraying of mosquitoes or anti-larva repellents.