Zika virus that recently infected five people in Maharashtra’s Pune is majorly asymptomatic, but can resemble dengue fever, said health experts here on Monday.Zika virus disease (ZVD) is a mosquito-borne disease transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, the mosquito which also transmits dengue, chikungunya, and yellow fever.
It usually bites during the daytime. It is usually a mild to moderate severity disease in adults and requires no specific treatment.
Common symptoms include mild fever, rashes, headache, muscle and joint pain, and inflammation of the underside of the eyelid, which normally lasts for 2-7 days.
“Around 80 per cent of cases are estimated to be asymptomatic, though the accuracy of this figure is hindered by the wide variance in data quality,” Dr. Suruchi Mandrekar, Consultant Internal Medicine, Manipal Hospital, Pune, said.