Home News Pune reports first case of Zika virus this year

Pune reports first case of Zika virus this year

Pune reported its first case of Zika virus infection this year in a 64-year-old woman from Yerawada.

The woman had symptoms like fever and severe joint pain and was admitted to Jehangir hospital on November 8.

She was detected with Zika  virus infection on November 9.

“She is now stable and discharged from the hospital,” Vinod Sawantwadkar, Chief Executive Officer of Jehangir hospital, told The Sunday Express.So far 10 cases of zika virus infection have been reported in Maharashtra in the last three years and state health officials urged citizens not to panic.

Dr Pratapsingh Sarnikar, joint director of health said that the the death rate due to the infection is low.

A meeting was held recently and district collectors across the state were sent advisory on stepping up fever surveillance and ensuring adequate efforts towards mosquito control.

This year, seven cases of Zika virus have been reported in the state.

In July 2021, one case was reported from Belsar village in Purandar block of Pune district while two cases were reported in 2022 from Palghar and Bavdhan in Haveli block of Pune district.

This year, so far, cases were reported from Chembur, Mumbai, Ichalkaranji, Miraj, Kolhapur, Pandharpur and now Pune.

Zika virus (ZIKV), a vector-borne flavivirus transmitted by the bite of infected Aedes mosquitoes, mainly Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus.