Zika Virus in India?

[EdmondE]

Does anyone have any reputable information about Zika Virus being present in India? I was discussing with some friends a trip that I am planning to visit the country soon, and they were aghast. They told me Zika Virus was prevalent in the area. I thought it was only in South America!
On a related note, what diseases borne by mosquitos should one be aware of while trekking through the bush in India?
Thanks!

 

[gamer2x]

I just visited the country and there isn't any news on zika and no patients are suffering from it.

Also, you are right, it is spreading only in south america and not in Asia or India.

You need to use the mosquito replant creams though to keep away from typhoid and other such diseases.

It is best to keep yourself protected all the time even though zika is not spreading in India.

 

[ad.mike2016]

India has currently not had any cases of Zika reported in the country. That being said it is important you take the necessary precautions to protect yourself and traveling mates if you are going to India. Mosquito's, especially the type that carry Zika are native to India, when traveling you should make sure to use ample amounts of bug spray and sleep under a mosquito net if you are sleeping in an area where mosquito's might be able to get to you while you are sleeping. Mosquito's are not the only way you can contract Zika, sexual contact with someone who has been infected can also lead to infection, i.e. people not from India. I would suggest refraining from sexual contact with anyone whom you are not intimately familiar with (no pun intended) as you may be putting yourself at undue risk. As for other diseases you may contract from mosquito's while in India Dengue fever is probably the most prevalent. There has been an increase in Dengue in the recent years and I would make sure to take all possible precautions to diminish the possibility that you will be bitten by any mosquito. All that being said the chance for contracting a disease from a mosquito bite is quite minimal, just take the necessary precautions and chances are you will be fine. I hope you enjoy your trip, let me know if you have any other questions or concerns. Cheers!

 

[Casiox]

Based on whether if they have had any cases or not, I do not really think that India is the one and only country that might be victim of Zika attacks, I know of many other countries that have had at least 1 case of Zika, and many other countries that have had thousands of cases, but it never gets to the news, however, you should not mind too much about that, just live the experience with no worries.

 

[Trevlr]

I am not sure whether the virus is in India. You should not be worried about it by now. To keep yourself safe you'll have to sleep under mosquito net. You will also have to avoid mosquito infested areas. You are advised to seek help from the local health ministry when you arrive in India.

 

[Dybbuk Jones]

This season might not be problematic when it comes to Zika, just because I don't think that the mosquitoes can travel that far, but you never know about the future. Thankfully, the Zika virus is a very well known virus and it's the kind of thing that the CDC is working on. It also mainly affects pregnant women (particularly the fetuses), so at very least a trip to India should be safe for you as far as the Zika virus is concerned. Now if you were going to Florida you should worry.

 

[vkar]

I haven’t heard about any Zika virus cases in India. These things usually get blown out of proportions by the media so they would have surely made a lot of noise even if there was a suspected case. But India has plenty of other mosquito related diseases though such as dengue, chikungunya and malaria is common in some regions of the country. Just be careful and take precautions and you should be fine.

 

[Dybbuk Jones]

Definitely. Where there are mosquitoes there are blood viruses that will make you very sick and could even kill you. Malaria is still one of the major killers of travel plans. Even if it doesn't kill you, it can lay you out for a few weeks. So definitely take all the precautions including mosquito net, etc.

 

[audrinaa]

Even if the Zika virus is not known in that area. I would make sure you take caution because you never know what could happen. You could even possibly bring something back with you if you are planning to come back to the states.

 

[arunava basu]

A few cases of Zica Virus has been reported in India. All off the affected are the people travelling back from either US or Latin America and the have been quarantined. It has otherwise been away from India till now. Hopefully it will not spread anymore as it has been taken care off very well by the health authority. So people travelling to India need not worry about Zica Virus at all.

 

[djtravels]

There's no Zika in India. Its a very local form of disease and is limited to mostly the Americas for now. Also, get vaccination shots before coming and you won't catch anything anyways. A billion disease free people live here, so you'll do just fine.

 

[Rako]

There is even Zika in the US!