Frontiers in Microbiology (Jun 2022)

Zika a Vector Borne Disease Detected in Newer States of India Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic

  • Pragya D. Yadav,
  • Harmanmeet Kaur,
  • Nivedita Gupta,
  • Rima R. Sahay,
  • Gajanan N. Sapkal,
  • Anita M. Shete,
  • Gururaj R. Deshpande,
  • Sreelekshmy Mohandas,
  • Triparna Majumdar,
  • Savita Patil,
  • Priyanka Pandit,
  • Abhinendra Kumar,
  • Dimpal A. Nyayanit,
  • K. H. Sreelatha,
  • S. Manjusree,
  • Hiba Sami,
  • Haris Mazoor Khan,
  • Anuradha Malhotra,
  • Kanwardeep Dhingra,
  • Ravisekhar Gadepalli,
  • V. Sudha Rani,
  • Manoj Kumar Singh,
  • Yash Joshi,
  • Manisha Dudhmal,
  • Nandini Duggal,
  • Mala Chabbra,
  • Lalit Dar,
  • Pranita Gawande,
  • Jyoti Yemul,
  • Kaumudi Kalele,
  • Rajalakshmi Arjun,
  • K. Nagamani,
  • Biswa Borkakoty,
  • Ganesh Sahoo,
  • Ira Praharaj,
  • Shanta Dutta,
  • Pradip Barde,
  • S. C. Jaryal,
  • Vinita Rawat

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2022.888195
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13

Abstract

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BackgroundDuring the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, outbreaks of Zika were reported from Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra, India in 2021. The Dengue and Chikungunya negative samples were retrospectively screened to determine the presence of the Zika virus from different geographical regions of India.MethodsDuring May to October 2021, the clinical samples of 1475 patients, across 13 states and a union territory of India were screened and re-tested for Dengue, Chikungunya and Zika by CDC Trioplex Real time RT-PCR. The Zika rRTPCR positive samples were further screened with anti-Zika IgM and Plaque Reduction Neutralization Test. Next generation sequencing was used for further molecular characterization.ResultsThe positivity was observed for Zika (67), Dengue (121), and Chikungunya (10) amongst screened cases. The co-infections of Dengue/Chikungunya, Dengue/Zika, and Dengue/Chikungunya/Zika were also observed. All Zika cases were symptomatic with fever (84%) and rash (78%) as major presenting symptoms. Of them, four patients had respiratory distress, one presented with seizures, and one with suspected microcephaly at birth. The Asian Lineage of Zika and all four serotypes of Dengue were found in circulation.ConclusionOur study indicates the spread of the Zika virus to several states of India and an urgent need to strengthen its surveillance.

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