Delhi, Pune centres to test Zika

The government has named the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Delhi, and the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, as the two centres for diagnosis of the Zika virus infection.

Experts said the challenge lay in how to use the test kits and on which patients in the case of an outbreak. The Zika virus results in dengue-like symptoms in 20 per cent of patients. The other 80 per cent do not show any symptoms or illness.

Moreover, health experts are trying to establish the link between infants born with microcephaly, abnormally small head, and their mothers who may have the Zika virus infection. "That is the only serious thing in relation with this virus that people have started noticing. But studies are already on to understand the relation between Zika and microcephaly, including the role of other contributory factors. This is the only area where it becomes tricky, otherwise this is not a deadly virus," said Dr BR Das, president, research and innovation, SRL Diagnostics.

The government has begun procuring test kits to detect this virus. In a meeting on January 29, Health Minister JP Nadda constituted a technical group to monitor the situation arising out of the spread of the Zika virus in other countries and to advise on steps that need to be taken.

On Tuesday, the ministry issued comprehensive guidelines to deal with this virus, where it said the NCDC, Delhi, and NIV, Pune, had the capability to provide laboratory diagnosis of the virus attack in acute febrile stage. Ten other laboratories will be strengthened by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to expand the scope of diagnosis.

"We don't have any commercially available test for this virus. If and when there is an outbreak, we will have to see what the availability of the test is at those places of outbreak. Since it is not a fatal disease, it has to be analysed whether it would be cost effective to perform it on all patients showing symptoms," said Dr Monica Mahajan, senior consultant, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket.

"Moreover, the turnaround time in the test would also need to be considered to avoid a situation that a patient has already recovered by the time the results come in," she added.

The government has asked all the international airports and ports to display billboards providing information to travelers on the Zika virus. It has asked people returning from affected countries and suffering from febrile illness to report to Customs authorities. "The Airport/Port Health Organisation would have quarantine/isolation facility in identified airports," the guidelines added.