Spread by mosquitos, the Zika virus infected 2,500 people in Brazil last year.Experts believe it's only a matter of time before India becomes its next target The Zika virus, transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito (the same vector that is known to transmit dengue and chicken guinea) has spread widely in Brazil with more than 2,500 cases reported in 2015. And according to doctors, the mosquite-borne disease should be a cause for concern in India. Healthcare workers in Brazil woke up to the crisis when pregnant women infected with Zika were discovered to have delivered babies with microcephaly, or, an abnormally small head and incomplete brain development. While medical experts were in the middle of establishing more links between the virus and the birth defect, an advisory issued by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) last week cautioned pregnant women and those of childbearing age against travelling to Brazil and 13 other countries where cases of Zika virus have surfaced.Physician Dr Pratit Samdani emphasises on the importance of staying alert. "People travel across countries a lot, both for leisure as well as for work. I wouldn't be sur prised if we suddenly got a case of Zika in India," he says, adding that people planning their summer vacations and holidays to coincide with the upcoming Olympics in Rio De Janeiro should be cautious. The host city has already launched massive drives to target mosquito breeding sites to curb the spread of Zika virus and thus ensure that athletes and visitors remain safe.According to Samdani, with the vector already being present in India, we may not be far from treating a case that could lead to widespread transmission.According to CDC, the Zika virus was first identified in 1947 and outbreaks were reported in Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands before 2015. While there is no medication or vaccine to prevent or cure Zika virus, doctors offer symptomatic treatment as in the case of dengue -bed rest, high intake of fluids to prevent dehydration and medicines for pain relief."The Zika virus is a type of arbovirus that is transmitted to people primarily through the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito. For the time being, there is nothing to worry but our epidemiologists are closely watching," says Dr Abhay Choudhary, head of microbiology at the JJ Hospital. He adds that it is important to keep an eye on those travelling to and from the affected areas.Dr Jayanthi Shastri, head of microbiology at the Nair Hospital, says that the National Institute of Virology (NIV) Pune, has not issued an alert so far. "We are hopeful that we don't get a case," she says, adding that although yellow fever has also been spreading through the same mosquito, India is yet to report such a case. "There are many factors that lead to the outbreak of such a disease and we have been lucky as far as yellow fever is concerned. There is nothing to panic so far," she points out.The Zika virus is spread from person to person through the bite of an Aedes aegypti mosquito. The most common symptoms of Zika virus disease are fever, rash, joint pain and conjunctivitis. The incubation period for the virus is two to seven days. Like in dengue, patients develop fever, rash and joint pain but in a mild form. Doctors advice against taking aspirin and non-ster oidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen and Naproxen. According to CDC, deaths caused by the Zika virus are rare. So far, there's been one report of possible spread of the virus through blood transfusion and one report of possible spread of the virus through sexual contact.