Screening of passengers yet to start at airport

Neeraj Bagga

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, January 31

Even as the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Union government have sounded alert for zika virus threat in India, three international entry and exit points in the holy city — the international airport, Attari railway station, Wagah Joint Check Post — have not started screening passengers for the virus.

Officials at the international railway station and the joint check post (JCP) said no written instruction or communication had been received for screening passengers, including foreigners, for the deadly zika virus. They said they were ready to initiate the process in case the higher authorities desired so.

Airport director Venkateshwar Rao said the airport had a medical centre, which was adequately equipped, to carry out checks for the virus. However, these tests were not being conducted, as no instruction had been received in this regard. He added that even if they received instructions, they were authorised to screen only those passengers, who were suspected to be carrying the virus.

Meanwhile, medical practitioners felt that the state government had to ready at least one lab like the research and diagnostic laboratory at the Government Medical College to conduct tests of suspected patients.

Officials at the laboratory said the Microbiology Department had also taken up the matter of threat of the virus with National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune. They said the NIV also suggested to maintain surveillance for the dreaded virus.

Officials said aedes aegypti mosquito, which breeds in clean water, was associated with the spread of dengue, chikungunya and now zika. “Its most common symptoms are fever, rashes, joint pains and conjunctivitis,” they added.

Zika is drawing worldwide attention as it has spread to 22 countries in a brief span. It is also connected with microcephaly, a neurological disorder that results in babies being born with abnormally small heads.