Zika virus in Pune: Amid the rising cases of Zika virus in India, the Health Ministry has urged the states to maintain a constant state of vigilance through screening of pregnant women for Zika virus infection.
The Ministry also asked to monitor the growth of the foetus of expecting mothers who have tested positive. The health facilities and hospitals have been assigned a nodal officer to monitor and act to keep the premises Aedes mosquito-free.
Additionally, states have been instructed to strengthen their entomological surveillance and intensify their vector control activities in residential areas, workplaces, schools, construction sites, institutions and health facilities, an ANI report stated.
On Monday two more cases of Zika virus was reported. This has brought the total confirmed cases in the city to six, with both the new cases involving pregnant women residing in Erandwane.
The first case of the virus was reported by a doctor and his teenage daughter, who were living in the same area as the two new cases. The health officials have conducted inspections and collected samples from the affected area.
Dr. Kalpana Baliwant, the health officer for the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), stated that among the 25 samples collected, 12 were from Erandwane and seven included pregnant women. Out of the tested, two had tested positive, ANI reported.
An additional 13 samples were collected from Mundhwa, however, no reports were positive for these. Pregnant women who are infected with Zika are considered to be at a higher risk so health officials have been conducting anomaly scans or them and increasing surveillance in the affected areas.
Reportedly, the PMC has also urged citizens to follow the guidelines and take necessary precautions to prevent the spread of the virus. Assurance has been given by the police that they are closely monitoring the situation and taking necessary measures to control the spread of the virus in the city.
Zika is an Aedes mosquito-borne viral disease like dengue and chikungunya. Though non-fatal, Zika is associated with microcephaly (a condition where the head is much smaller than expected) in babies born to affected pregnant women which makes it a cause of major concern.
As Zika is associated with microcephaly and neurological consequences in the foetus of the affected pregnant women, states have been advised to alert the clinicians for close monitoring, the advisory stated.
States are urged to instruct the health facilities in the affected areas or those catering to cases from affected areas to screen pregnant women for Zika, monitor the growth of the fetus of expecting mothers who have tested positive for the infection and act as per Central government guidelines, PTI reported.
The Health Ministry said that though Zika is reported to be associated with microcephaly, no report of any such Zika-associated microcephaly has been reported in the country since 2016, the Health Ministry said, as quoted by PTI.
In 2024, till July 2, Pune has recorded six cases in Pune and one each in Kolhapur and Sangamner.
Zika testing facilities are available at the National Institute of Virology, Pune; the National Centre for Disease Control, Delhi, and a few selected virus research and diagnostic laboratories of the Indian Council of Medical Research.
The Directorate General Of Health Services issued an advisory on April 26 while the director of the NCVBDC issued two advisories in February and April 2024, to forewarn states on Zika, dengue and chikungunya.
