Man with Zika virus dies in Karnataka's Shivamogga, one more under treatment at home

SHIVAMOGGA: A 74-year-old man in Shivamogga, who had tested positive for Zika virus, died late Friday. Since the patient had comorbidities, doctors are yet to ascertain whether his death was directly caused by the virus.
Nonetheless, this is the first reported incident of death in Karnataka of a patient with traces of the deadly virus in his body. Another patient infected with the virus in Shivamogga is currently under treatment at home.
District health officer (DHO) Dr Nataraj told STOI the man who died was suffering from breathing problems and other age-related issues. "He died at his residence in Gandhinagar after being discharged from the hospital," Dr Nataraj said. The patient was admitted to a private hospital on June 18.
'Man's family insisted on getting him discharged against medical advice'
After his blood and urine samples were tested, the hospital referred the results to McGann Hospital. Experts at McGann analysed the samples and forwarded them to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Bengaluru for a final report.
On June 21, the report from NIV confirmed that the patient was infected with Zika virus. Since then, he was under treatment at a private hospital.
However, despite his unstable condition, his family insisted on getting him discharged against medical advice. The patient was taken home early on Friday. He passed away later that night.
"Zika virus has no special treatment, except for symptomatic treatment, like any other viral infection," the DHO explained.
"Every day, we analyse all test reports and if there is any suspicion, we send the sample in question to NIV for confirmation. Samples collected from pregnant women with symptoms are taken special care of and are invariably sent to the NIV," the DHO further said.
Checking for symptoms
Zika virus is transmitted primarily by Aedes mosquito bites that happen mostly during the day. Patients showing symptoms such as headache, joint and muscle pain, conjunctivitis must be monitored for more than a week, a health official said. Seeking medical advise during the first few days after contracting the virus is crucial.