Zika cases keep RGIA officials on toes

Health authorities at Shamshabad international airport have continued to remain on high alert since this January, even as the World Health Organisation (WHO) had recently confirmed three cases of Zika that were reported for the first time in India from Gujarat.

Since January, after the country-wide Zika alert issued by the Centre, a team of dedicated doctors have been screening passengers for tell-tale symptoms of Zika, swine flu and avian influenza at Shamshabad airport.

“For the past six months we have been screening passengers from 93 countries who arrive to RGIA, Shamshabad. Passengers are screened for symptoms even before they reach the customs for inspection. Our teams are present round the clock,” says Regional Director, MOHFW, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, Dr. Anuradha Medoju.

Signboards and television screens airing various symptoms of Zika and other viral fevers



including avian influenza have been part of the screening team at Shamshabad since January.

Health officials said that cities like Hyderabad, Chennai and Bangalore, which are well known transit points for travelling to and from South East Asian countries like Singapore, Malaysia etc, are on the crosshairs of Zika virus.

A model study, published recently in the noted science journal Lancet, said that India is most vulnerable to experiencing a Zika outbreak in the coming months. The study said that India, due to its huge volumes of travellers from Zika-virus affected areas, is at risk of Zika virus infection.

“Every year, close to 67,422 travellers arrive in India from Zika-affected areas of South and North Americas and countries from South East Asia. There are 1.2 billion residents in India who are in potential Zika transmission zones,” the Lancet report said.