New Delhi: Not reporting the Zika virus cases was a cover up since it would’ve killed Modi’s campaign for a healthy and clean India, according to an Indian news outlet.
“The surveillance system put in place by the Health Ministry succeeded in identifying three adults infected with the Zika virus between November 2016 and February 2017 in Gujarat,” The Hindu said in an editorial. “But the ministry acted less than responsibly by withholding the information from everyone.”
At least three zika virus cases were reported to the WHO as recently as May 15, which was more than five months after the first case was laboratory-confirmed.
“Information regarding the cases came to light when the WHO posted the information on its website on May 26. By not disclosing the information in real time, India behaved as China did in the case of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak in 2003.” China faced a lot of criticism for hiding the advent of SARS as well in the same way as India is now.
“That none of the three Zika-infected adults or their spouses or relatives had travelled to any country with Zika virus transmission indicates that the virus was transmitted within India,” The Hindu said.
The WHO has warned now that “new cases may occur in the future”, particularly as the Aedes aegypti mosquito that transmits the virus is widely found in India.
“Secrecy about Zika outbreaks, even if seen only in isolated cases, can lead to a public health disaster. Given that local transmission is already present, the A. aegypti is commonly found, and many infected people exhibit no or only mild, non-specific symptoms, up-to-date health bulletins and advisories are vital.”
India has the responsibility to keep the WHO and the global community informed, The Hindu said, “especially in the case of dreaded infectious diseases, for both global risk assessment and risk preparedness”.
It said the government machinery should have been on overdrive to educate and increase awareness about ways to avoid infection; “the decision to keep the information under wraps to avoid creating ‘panic’ is totally unconvincing,” it said.
Courtesy: The Hindu
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