Indian contingent to Oly may be screened for Zika

BENGALURU: The Union health ministry on Monday swung into action after middle-distance runner Sudha Singh, who returned on Saturday from Rio after the Olympic Games, was subjected to tests for possible infection by the Zika virus.

The ministry has reportedly advised state health departments to monitor the Indian contingent, coaches and officials who were at the Olympic Games. In response, Karnataka health officials who visited Sudha at a hospital on Monday have asked the Sports Authority of India to submit the list of athle tes who trained at the South Centre here, it is learnt.

It is likely that SAI will submit a consolidated list of the contingent to the Union health ministry. The directive also applies to all those who return from countries where the disease is endemic.The government has decided to enhance its surveillance at all international airports.

These damage-control measures come two days after Sudha, who took part in the 3,000m steeplechase at the Olympics, returned to the city with fever, joint pain and fatigue and was rushed to a city hospital. “We h av e i n structed au thorities at the Kempe gowda International Airport to conduct surveillance since March this year as per a central government directive to isolate passengers coming from areas vulnerable to Zika and with possibility of get ting infected by the virus. We are continuing to do that even now. We have also been collating reports from the airport authorities on a daily basis,“ said Dr Sunanda, district surveillance offider, health and family welfare department of Karnataka.

Sudha was treated for viral infection in an isolation room before officers from the public health department on Monday collected her blood samples to screen her for H1N1 and Zika after blood tests on Sunday did not show any sign of dengue or chikungunya.

“Sudha's condition has been the same since Sunday.Her blood samples have been collected by officials from the public health department and will be sent to the National Institute of Virology, Pune, for tests. Once we get the reports, we'll be able to take appropriate medical decisions for treating her,“ a hospital source said.

Dr Lokesh MN, chief health officer of the state public health department, said: “We need to follow a set of protocols to conduct pathological investigation of her blood samples. Once that is done and her reports indicate the presence of Zika, we will adopt the international guidelines set by WHO to treat patients affected with the virus, of which isolation is one of the primary measures.“

The other athletes who stayed with Sudha at the Rio apartment during the Games ­ OP Jaisha, Kavita Raut and Lalita Babar ­ too will be investigated, sources said. Marathon runner Jaisha, who showed milder symptoms, has since retur ned to Kerala.Kavita, who too ran the marathon at Rio before being struck down by fever, and Lalita have gone back to their home towns in Maharashtra, it is learnt.