Does zika exist in India? If conversations with noted health scientists are any indication, the virus most likely does.
Zika and its association with microcephaly, the congenital deformation of the head, is one of the most discussed subjects at the congress where over 2,700 delegates from around the world are participating. The four-day conference has two sessions on zika, but the virus also figures in others sessions on infectious disease, given the outbreak in Americas.
When asked about a 1950s study describing zika antibodies found in serum samples from India, Soumiya Swaminathan, Director General ICMR, mentioned a vial of zika that was stored at National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune. The virus was found dead and could not be revived, she said, attributing the viral death to inadequacies in storage and handling techniques of the time.
Dr. Swaminathan stated that India is yet to report a case of infection in the present epidemic. “We are carrying out surveillance and testing people. We are also working to develop our own diagnostic tools,” she added, while saying that the virus is now less of a threat than many other infectious diseases. Ramanan Laxminarayan of the Public Health Foundation of India too seconded her thoughts.
Lawrence C. Madoff, Director for the Division of Epidemiology and Immunisation at Department of Public Health at Massachusetts said that zika has very few barriers to spread in areas where it has not been seen before.
“There is very little host immunity in such areas. Like dengue and chikunguniya, there can be a large number of cases,” he said.
“I think there is a cause for concern as the vector that causes dengue and chikunguniya is present in India,” Dr. Madoff said. “Zika was found in Pakistan in the past. It would not be surprising if it were found in India.”
