Pregnant woman tests positive for Zika virus; tally rises to 66 in Pune
The 19-year-old from Chandni Chowk, Bavdhan, on Monday tested positive for Zika virus as per her reports received from the National Institute of Virology (NIV) Pune
Zika virus infection has been detected in a pregnant girl, 19, from Bavdhan, taking the total number of Zika virus infection cases in the city to 66, said Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) officials on Monday.
The 19-year-old from Chandni Chowk, Bavdhan, on Monday tested positive for Zika virus as per her reports received from the National Institute of Virology (NIV) Pune. Her samples had been sent for testing on August 3. She is 22 weeks’ pregnant according to Dr Suryakant Deokar, assistant health officer, PMC.
Between Saturday and Monday, Pune city reported eight cases of Zika virus infection including six pregnant women, a 40-year-old man from Katraj, and an 18-year-old boy from Kondhwa. Among the six pregnant women who tested positive for Zika virus from Saturday to Monday, five tested positive between Saturday and Sunday including a 33-year-old woman from Dhanori, a 23-year-old woman from Kharadi, and three women aged 21 and 22 years from Shivajinagar. Also, a 22-year-old woman from Pandavnagar, Shivajinagar, tested positive for the infection. The PMC on Monday sent samples of two pregnant women from Pashan suspected to have Zika virus infection to the NIV for testing.
Since June 20, Pune city has reported 66 cases of Zika virus including 26 pregnant women, said Dr Nina Borate, health officer, PMC. Since June 20, Pune district has reported 73 cases of Zika virus including 66 from Pune city, five from Pune rural, and two from Pimpri-Chinchwad. Also, four suspected Zika deaths have been reported in Pune city in the past.
Zika virus is transmitted through the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito, known to transmit infections like dengue and chikungunya. The symptoms include fever, rash, conjunctivitis, body ache, and joint pain. Zika virus in pregnant women can cause congenital microcephaly (a condition in which the head is significantly smaller due to abnormal brain development), Guillain-Barre syndrome, and other neurological complications, said officials.