Pune reports two cases of Zika virus infection
Doctor and his teen daughter, both residents of Erandwane in Pune, have tested positive for Zika virus infection, becoming the first two cases in the city this year, officials said on Monday
PUNE: The city has reported two cases of Zika virus infection this year: the first being a man, 46, from Erandwane who is a doctor by profession and is associated with two major hospitals in Pune; and the second his daughter, 15, who has mild symptoms including fever.
Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) officials said that the man had symptoms such as fever and rash and was undergoing treatment at the Mai Mangeshkar Hospital. His blood samples were sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune on June 18. The NIV reports received on June 20 confirmed that the doctor has Zika virus infection.
The city’s second Zika patient is the 15-year-old daughter of this doctor who has mild symptoms including fever. Her blood samples were sent to the NIV for testing on June 21. The NIV reports confirmed that the girl has Zika virus infection. She is currently at home and taking medicines on an outpatient department (OPD) basis, officials said.
Zika virus is transmitted through the bite of an infected Aedes Aegypti mosquito which is known to transmit infections like dengue and chikungunya. A majority of those infected with Zika either remain asymptomatic (up to 80%) or show mild symptoms such as fever, rash, conjunctivitis, body ache, and joint pain. In pregnant women, Zika infection can cause microcephaly in the foetus, officials said.
Following the detection of two Zika cases, PMC health officials and communicable diseases’ experts visited the area. The team from the public health department also visited Erandwane on Monday. The man has five family members including his parents, wife and daughter. Officials said that his parents and wife are asymptomatic.
A senior doctor from the PMC on condition of anonymity, said, “Surveillance activities are being conducted in the entire Erandwane area and will continue for the next 14 days. Mosquito breeding was found in a few societies in the area, and we have issued show-cause notices to six housing societies. Door-to-door surveillance has been started. The team is spraying insecticide and conducting fogging in the housing society and adjoining areas where the two patients live. However, no suspected case has been found during the surveillance,” he said.
Dr Rajesh Dighe, assistant health office of the PMC, urged citizens with fever to visit the nearest PMC hospitals and get tested for Zika virus infection. “The vector for Zika, dengue and chikungunya is the same mosquito, Aedes Aegypti. There is a high possibility of in-house breeding of Aedes mosquitoes. Citizens should keep their houses and surroundings clean. Stagnant water inside the house, on on the terrace and surrounding the house should be cleared to avoid an outbreak of the vector-borne disease,” Dr Dighe said.
