Zika disease, a viral infection, is mostly a mosquito-borne disease transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes. It can also be transmitted to foetus during pregnancy, through sexual contact, blood transfusion and organ transplantation. The disease is usually mild and requires no specific treatment. However, it is more serious when infection occurs during pregnancy which may cause microcephaly and other congenital malformations in the infant, preterm birth and miscarriage. Few cases may also develop Guillain-Barré syndrome which is a neurological disorder.

In India, Zika cases have been reported from several states. According to Ministry of Health, Govt of India (https://mohfw.gov.in/?q=pressrelease-32), as on 22 July 2024, there are 537 Zika cases have been registered.

Emerging infectious disease are whose incidence has increased recently and could increase in the near future. The minority that are capable of developing efficient transmission between humans can become major public and global concerns as potential causes of epidemics or pandemics.

Currently there is no vaccine available for its prevention. IIL partnered with Griffith University, Australia to develop the codon de-optimized live attenuated Zika vaccine that has completed extensive pre-clinical evaluations and received permission from Indian regulatory authority to produce GMP grade materials for clinical developmental work.

As per the MoA, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) will fund the Phase I clinical trial costs including the costs relating to the conduct, investigations and monitoring of clinical trial. The trial will be conducted at the ICMR network sites in India.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr K Anand Kumar, Managing Director, Indian Immunologicals Limited said, “It is a great moment for IIL to collaborate with ICMR to develop Zika vaccine. IIL has been the single largest contributor to India achieving self-sufficiency in the field of vaccines. Our foresight on the development of novel vaccine platforms including codon de-optimized viral vaccines is beginning to bear fruit. It is essential to safeguard our people from emerging diseases by developing safe and effective vaccines that are affordable“.

Dr. Rajiv Bahl, DG-ICMR said “ICMR’s Phase I trial network, launched last year, facilitates first-in-human safety studies for innovative and affordable Frontier MedTech, including small molecules, biologics, and vaccines. With four Phase-I sites—ACTREC Mumbai, KEM Hospital Mumbai, SRM Chennai, and PGIMER Chandigarh—fully operational, Indian innovators no longer need to go abroad for Phase-I trials. This is a significant step towards achieving Atmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat.

Dr. Priyabrata Pattnaik, Deputy Managing Director, Indian Immunologicals Limited added “We have been in the forefront of developing vaccine for emerging viral diseases. Currently we are working on developing vaccines for several neglected emerging diseases. Zika, Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD), Chikungunya, SARS-CoV-2 intra-nasal booster vaccine are to name a few”.

The centre will examine implementation gaps in healthcare infrastructure, digital access, and community access and deploy customized interventions to bridge the healthcare inclusivity gap. Through this centre for RAHAT, CCDC aims to create a scalable, multi-stakeholder, transformative rural health research and training platform across four Indian states, to begin with. This will employ a network of interconnected ICMR-DHR health research infrastructure in medical colleges and research institutions across the country. Embracing the objectives of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), the ICMR-CAR for RAHAT seeks to promote integration and interoperability, fostering a resilient rural health ecosystem.

Speaking about CCDC receiving the ICMR CAR grant, Dr. Prabhakaran, Executive Director, CCDC, expressed, “With over 65% of the population residing in rural areas, the challenges in healthcare are immense. This grant empowers us to conduct critical research and address healthcare disparities underserved communities face. Amidst the dual burden of Non-Communicable Diseases and persistent infectious diseases in rural India, ICMR-CAR for RAHAT will be pivotal in transforming healthcare delivery and uplifting health outcomes in vulnerable areas.”

The ICMR-CAR for RAHAT will strive to create pathways of change aimed at bridging gaps and reducing inequities in primary healthcare for rural India through:

• Strengthening research, training, and implementation capabilities of linked MRUs and medical colleges

• Promote sustainability through local ownership and accountability

• Expediting the integration of ABDM into the rural health system

• Bridge the gap between scientific advancements and policy implementation

Dr Ashoo Grover, Senior Scientist from ICMR, while sharing his views on ICMR-CAR on RAHAT said, “The CAR projects are the flagship projects of the country, and through this award, it is expected to advance biomedical research agenda and addressing healthcare challenges.”

With the easing of the lockdown measures and with more offices/workplaces starting operations, the Ministry directed that anyone diagnosed as a suspected/confirmed case of COVID-19 should immediately inform the office authorities and isolate themselves.

While there was no need to close the entire office building/halt work if one or two cases were detected, a large outbreak would require that the building be shut down for 48 hours and disinfected, it stated.
The guidelines make it mandatory to maintain a physical distance of at least one metre to be followed at all times along with use of face covers/masks.

The Ministry also said that no decision has been taken as yet to replace hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), introduced as a game-changer to arrest the spread of COVID-19, as a prophylactic, with HIV combination drugs, after reports of experts demanding that it be dropped from the safety guideline list of drugs prescribed for high-risk persons, including healthcare workers.

With experts questioning the effectiveness of HCQ, a senior health official said the drug was under review “but no decision has been taken to drop it just yet”.

Since the COVID-19 situation was a dynamic one and now with the lockdown being relaxed, a relook was being done by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

The death toll in India from COVID-19 has risen to 308 while 856 patients have been cured of the virus or discharged.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Sunday said that it has conducted a total of 1,95,748 tests for coronavirus. Over last five days, an average of 15,747 samples were tested per day and the average number of samples which tested positive is 584, the apex health research body said.

Here is total coronavirus cases in India, state-wise

Andhra Pradesh – 427
Andaman and Nicobar Islands – 11
Arunachal Pradesh – 1
Assam – 29
Bihar – 64
Chandigarh – 21
Chhattisgarh – 31
Delhi – 1154
Goa -7
Gujarat – 516
Haryana – 185
Himachal Pradesh – 32
Jammu and Kashmir – 245
Jharkhand -19
Karnataka – 232
Kerala -376
Ladakh – 15
Madhya Pradesh – 564
Maharashtra – 1985
Manipur – 2
Mizoram – 1
Odisha – 54
Puducherry – 7
Punjab – 151
Rajasthan – 772
Tamil Nadu – 1075
Telangana – 504
Tripura – 2
Uttarakhand – 35
Uttar Pradesh – 483
West Bengal – 152

Across the world, the fatalities from corornavirus has risen to 1.14 lakh, while number of confirmed cases has surged to 18.4 lakh, according to latest data from Johns Hopkins University.

With over 5.56 lakh cases, the US has been the worst affected country, followed by Spain (1.66 lakh), Italy (1.56 lakh), France (1.33 lakh) and Germany (1.27 lakh).

In US, the death toll has crossed 22,000, followed by Italy (19,899), Spain (17,209), France (14,393) and UK (10,612)