Govt mulls travel restrictions for pregnant women on Zika threat

With the Zika virus spreading “explosively”, the Indian government is considering issuing travel restrictions for pregnant women and those “who intend to get pregnant” to postpone travel to the countries affected by the virus. According to sources in the Union health ministry, talks are on with the ministry of external affairs (MEA) regarding the same.

Earlier this month the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention advised pregnant women to postpone travel to 14 Latin American countries because of the virus. Significantly, the UK, European Union, Australia, Canada have all advised pregnant women to “reconsider” their travel.

“India is likely to issue a travel advisory too considering the spread of the virus. We are discussing it with the MEA,” sources in the health ministry disclosed.

Union health minister J.P. Nadda on Friday set up a technical group comprising senior officials from the Indian Council of Medical Research, AIIMS and National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme to monitor the situation. “Though so far no case has been reported, we are taking all necessary steps to ensure that India is well prepared in case of any eventuality,” Mr Nadda told this newspaper.

While the minister has asked officials to focus on strengthening the surveillance system, a joint monitoring group will soon issue treatment guidelines too. “We are working on the guidelines for healthcare providers that may be referred to if needed,” director-general of health services Jagdish Prasad said.

The officials have also been told to pay intense focus on the southern states of India as the prevailing weather encourages mosquito breeding.

The high-level meeting was held following the WHO warning which said that Zika virus is “spreading explosively” in the Americas and can infect up to four million people. The international health agency issued a warning to all countries, including India, who have the vector of Aedes mosquito that also causes dengue and chikungunya.

The Zika virus is caused by the aggressive Aedes aegypti mosquito that also causes Dengue and Chikungunya — both the viral diseases are of great public health concern to tropical countries like India.

The outbreak began in Brazil last year and has now spread to 24 countries in the Americas, causing serious birth defects and other neurological problems like microcephaly, a condition that causes babies to be born with an abnormally small head.

Dr Marcos Espinal, director of communicable diseases and health analysis at WHO, warned that Zika “will go everywhere the mosquito is. We should assume that. We should not wait for it to spread.”

Zika originated in Africa and also exists in Asia.

Bruce Aylward, assistant director-general, WHO, also warned that the virus could spread to other places wherever there is Aedes mosquitoes.

“What we have to assume is anywhere where they have the Aedes (mosquitoes), they could have the Zika virus and they should have the tools to be able to look for it,” he said.