From the Editor’s Desk

Abstract

Recent reports have highlighted the rapid spread of Zika virus in India, with 100 cases being confirmed from the state of Rajasthan. This is the third outbreak of Zika in India since 2017 when it was first reported from Ahmedabad, Gujarat where 3 cases of laboratory confirmed cases were documented. 1 Thereafter, a second outbreak was reported in Tamil Nadu. The recent outbreak in Rajasthan has sent alarm bells ringing and the Government has swung into action to contain the spread of infection. While the authorities are leaving no stone unturned to deal with the outbreak, it is important for doctors to be vigilant and aware about the disease and its clinical manifestations, particularly for ophthalmologists, who can play a critical role in diagnosis and treatment. History and Current Scenario Interestingly, Zika virus was identified in the Zika forest of Uganda. In 1947, Alexander Haddow and George Dick first identified Zika virus in a rhesus monkey. Blood samples revealed an unknown virus that was named Zika after the forest in which it was first identified. 2 The first case of human infection was reported in 1954 in Nigeria. 3 In 2007, the first Zika outbreak occurred in the Yap Islands with the clinical presentation comprising of a triad of acute onset of generalized maculopapular rash, arthritis or arthralgia, and non-purulent conjunctivitis. 4 Thereafter, outbreaks occurred in various parts of the world, including Africa, Southeast Asia and the Pacific islands, but no major complications were associated until an extensive outbreak was reported from Brazil in 2015. 5 By 2018, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated there were at least 90 countries with active Zika virus transmissions.