Focus on prevention

Timely action needed to curb the spread of zika virus

The outbreak of dreaded zika virus in Jaipur may have so far been confined to its epicentre alone, but the risk of its spreading to other areas seems quite high for several reasons. For one, this is already the third episode of zika eruption in India in less than two years. Besides, the carrier of this virus is the same day-biting Aedes aegypti mosquito that spreads dengue, chikungunya, and other vector-transmitted diseases and is present in hordes in most parts of the country. Moreover, unlike in the past when the virus was detected in infected patients only, this time the