After Kerala, Maharashtra reports Zika virus infection, first case from Pune

Representational image

New Delhi: Maharashtra reported the first case of Zika virus on Saturday (July 31). A 50-year-old woman in Pune has been found infected with the virus, which was earlier reported in Kerala. 

Confirming the first Zika case in the state, Maharashtra Health Department said, “The first case of Zika virus reported in Maharashtra. A 50-year-old woman patient was found in Purandar tehsil in Pune district. The patient is doing fine.”

The first case of Zika virus reported in Maharashtra. A 50-year-old woman patient was found in Purandar tehsil in Pune district. The patient is doing fine: Maharashtra Health Department — ANI (@ANI) July 31, 2021

Meanwhile, with two more people being diagnosed with the virus on Saturday, Kerala has now reported 63 total cases of Zika virus, health minister Veena George said. The two new cases included a 14-year-old girl and a 24-year- old woman, who were residents of Thiruvananthapuram, George said in a release. Out of the 63 cases in Kerala, three are active and no one is hospitalised.

Zika virus, first reported in India at Ahmedabad in January 2017, spreads mostly by the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito, which bites during the day. The same mosquito is responsible for transmitting other diseases like dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever. 

What are the symptoms of Zika virus:

1. Malaise or headache

2. Mild fever

3. Rash

4. Muscle and joint pain

5. Conjunctivitis

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), most people with Zika virus infection do not develop any symptom. 

The Zika virus can be passed from a pregnant woman to her fetus and result in infants being born with microcephaly and other congenital malformations. It is also lead to other complications of pregnancy including preterm birth and miscarriage. As per the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people infected with the Zika virus can also spread the disease to their sex partners.