Dhaka //

A decade after the first patient infected with Zika virus was identified in the country, a cluster infection of the virus, that is, infection of more than one person in one place, has been detected. The International Center for Diarrhea Research, Bangladesh (ICDDRB) reported the infection of five people in the same area.

The information was given by scientists after reviewing samples collected in 2023, according to the organization’s website on Monday. Using whole genome sequencing and comparative analysis, it was revealed that this Bangladeshi strain (subtype of microorganism) belongs to the Asian lineage. If infected, it can cause serious crises such as microcephaly and other neurological diseases. This strain was seen in Cambodia and China in 2019.

According to the ICDDRB website, Bangladesh’s tropical climate, warm temperatures and long rainy season create the best breeding conditions for Aedes mosquitoes. Due to this, many mosquito-borne diseases occur. In addition to dengue, chikungunya was seen here. Zika virus was first identified in Uganda in 1947, but it was in monkeys. Then in 1952, it was first identified in humans. After that, it spread to many countries around the world.

Like dengue and chikungunya, Zika is also spread by Aedes mosquitoes. Although its symptoms are similar to dengue, it is not detected in 80 percent of cases. It can remain dormant in the human body throughout the year. There is also a risk of infection through sexual contact with an infected person with Zika virus. If you get pregnant while infected with Zika or if you get pregnant while infected with Zika, the baby will be born with various physical complications.

It is known that in 2016, a review study conducted by the government’s Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) revealed the issue of Zika virus infection in Bangladesh for the first time. The sample was collected in 2014. Although the patient had no history of foreign travel. It is believed that the Zika virus was secretly spreading in Bangladesh before the outbreak in Brazil in 2015.

Regarding the cluster infection, the ICDDRB says that researchers tested samples of patients who came to their diagnostic center in Dhaka in 2023. 152 patients with fever suspected of having Zika symptoms were tested based on PCR. In this, Zika virus infection was found in samples of five people. These five patients lived within one kilometer. None of them had traveled abroad in the past two years. These patients were tested at the same time. This indicates that the matter is part of the same transmission cycle. In addition, one of the five patients was also infected with dengue virus.

Share your opinion.