Maharashtra on Saturday reported its first case of zika virus in Pune’s Belsar village, becoming the second state after Kerala to report a case. According to officials of the state public health department, a 50-year-old woman from Pune’s Purandar tehsil tested positive for the infection on Friday. The woman has also tested positive for Chickungunya. A team from public health department officials visited the Belsar village to carry out an inspection. “The zika patient in Belsar village has completely recovered and she has no symptoms now. State rapid response team also carried out an inspection in the village and conducted a meeting with the local authorities and health staff to inform them about the guidelines,” said Dr Pradip Awate, state surveillance officer.
The zika virus infection can strike due to the zika virus (ZIKV), which is a mosquito-borne human flavivirus. It can be transmitted via mainly Aedes mosquitoes, which bite during early mornings or even late evenings. Symptoms are generally mild and include fever, rash, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain, malaise, or headache. Kerala has recorded a total of 63 zika virus cases. The state reported its first case of zika virus in a pregnant woman on July 8, following which a statewide alert was issued, and experts were asked to monitor cases. Out of the 63 cases, three are active and none of them are hospitalised, state health minister Veena George said in an official statement on Saturday. For the majority of people, Zika virus infection is not a serious issue. But it can be very dangerous among pregnant women, especially for foetuses. The infection can cause microcephaly (a brain disability condition) or other conditions called congenital Zika syndrome. The virus easily transmits from a pregnant woman to her foetus. It can also spread through sexual contact, transfusion of blood and blood products, and organ transplantation.