The zika virus threat: Should India worry?

The explosive spread of Zika virus (ZIKV) has warranted a great attention from national and international health agencies worldwide, including the World Health Organization, thus declaring the situation as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern in February this year. The virus bears a phenotypic and clinical resemblance to dengue, along with the vector Aedes aegypti. The abundance of vector along with favorable environmental conditions makes India a “ZIKV receptive” area, with just the virus itself missing from the epidemiological triad. High level of awareness regarding factors about re-emergence of the ZIKV decades after its discovery and preventive and control measures against the vector remains the cornerstone for planning, implementing, and monitoring surveillance activities against ZIKV and other emerging and re-emerging infections