No evidence of Zika virus in Kenya, say local scientists

What you need to know:

  • Dr Sang said the viral infection can be misdiagnosed as its symptoms — fatigue, slight fever, rash, redness of the eyes, muscle and joint pain- are similar to dengue and yellow fevers.

  • The infection which is spreading through Latin America has been linked to thousands of babies being born with underdeveloped brains, characterized by small heads also microcephaly.

  • Kemri's Dr Sang said there is no sufficient evidence of the virus in Kenya, but “risk is every much everywhere.”

Kenyan scientist are on surveillance for any case of the Zika virus, associated with underdeveloped brains in newborns in Latin America, even as they say there is “no need to panic” over a likely outbreak in the country.

The Kenya Medical Research Institute acting director of the Centre for Virus Research, Dr Rosemary Sang, said there is no sufficient evidence of the virus in Kenya, but “risk is every much everywhere.”

“We will advise accordingly if we discover Zika Virus and the vectors (mosquitoes) transmitting it. However, as it is, the level of risk has not yet been established. We haven’t seen any activity of the virus,” Dr Sang told Nation on phone Wednesday.

The virus was discovered 'by accident’ in the Zika forest in Uganda in 1947 by scientists working on Yellow Fever, another viral disease. It is spread through a bite by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which also carries Dengue fever and Yellow fever.

Dr Sang said the viral infection can be misdiagnosed as its symptoms — fatigue, slight fever, rash, redness of the eyes, muscle and joint pain- are similar to Dengue and Yellow fevers.

“There are specialised lab tests to confirm whether it is the Zika virus but they are only available at Kemri and other research labs. However, for now we don’t have the capacity to test for Zika, but we will soon,” said the scientist.

She said in addition to surveillance of the virus activity, Kemri is also taking mosquito samples that are analysed if they are carrying the virus as well as monitoring the disease in hospitals through cases such as fevers.

There have been claims that Kenyan communities might be immune to the viral infection considering that the disease was discovered in Uganda in 1947 and also pegged on the assumption that the Aedes aegypti mosquito which spreads the infection also exist in Kenya.

IMMUNITY

Dr Sang said she was “hesitant” to confirm whether Kenyans have immunity against the Zika Virus or not.

“We do not have data to show that Kenyans have immunity. The assertion what we do is based on the fact that we have the same mosquito that spreads dengue and yellow fevers, diseases that we have in the country. But, if that is the case, then Brazil, which also has the Dengue and Yellow fevers should have been immune to the Zika virus, which we know it is not the case,” she explained.

The infection which is spreading through Latin America has been linked to thousands of babies being born with underdeveloped brains, characterized by small heads also microcephaly.

In the latest outbreak in 2015, Brazil health authorities observed an increase in babies born with microcephaly simultaneous with the outbreak of Zika virus.

Dr Sang said it is however not yet clear how the virus leads to babies being born with small heads also called microcephaly, adding that “it calls for more studies to understand the infection better.”

New cases indicate that the viral infection could also be sexually transmitted after a patient was infected with Zika in the US but had not travelled to infected areas nor did they have a mosquito problem in their area in Texas. However, their partner had returned from Venezuela.

Dr Anne Schuchat, the deputy principal director at the US Centers for Disease Control, told the BBC:

“The evidence that we have right now points to that, there is no evidence of a mosquito problem in the area. We do believe it was spread through a sexual contact.”

The World Health Organisation has declared the disease a global public health emergency.