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Pune district reports two new Zika virus infection cases
Rural parts of Pune see a rise in Zika virus cases with two new infections reported, taking the total to 21 in the district.
In what is a cause for concern, Zika virus infection cases have now started surfacing from the rural parts of Pune. Pune district on Friday reported two new cases of Zika virus infection including a 34-year-old woman from Bhugaon and a 61-year-old man from Hadapsar, taking the total number of Zika virus infection patients in the district to 21 (19 in Pune city and two in Pune rural).
The samples of both the patients were sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) Pune and the reports received from the NIV confirmed that they have Zika virus infection.
The woman, 34, from Bhugaon had complained of mild Zika virus symptoms and visited the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC)-run Sutar hospital in Kothrud. Her samples were sent to the NIV on Thursday and the test reports received from the NIV on Friday confirmed the virus infection.
Whereas the man from Hadapsar, 61, had been complaining of nausea, fever, diarrhoea and fatigue since July 1. He was admitted to Noble hospital on July 4 as a suspected case of food poisoning. His samples were sent to the NIV and the test results received on Thursday confirmed Zika virus infection in his blood samples, said Dr Kalpana Baliwant, health officer of the PMC.
Dr Rajesh Dighe, assistant health officer of the PMC, said that the Zika infection in the man is an accidental finding. The patient was having septicaemia and tropical fever panel test was carried out as advised by the treating doctor. “His samples tested negative for typhoid, dengue, and malaria. However, he has a travel history to Saswad,” Dr Dighe said.
Pune rural on Wednesday reported its first case of Zika virus infection in a 65-year-old man from Saswad, who has a travel history to Miraj, Sangli and Pune city. However, the fresh case reported in Bhugaon on Friday has raised concerns, said an official.
The PMC on Friday sent 23 samples of suspected patients to NIV for testing. Out of these, 22 samples belong to pregnant women, 11 are from Pashan, and 11 from Kharadi, officials said.
Zika virus is transmitted through the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito, 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 of fever, rash, conjunctivitis, body ache, and joint pain. Zika virus can be passed from a person before their symptoms begin to show, during the time they are showing symptoms, and after their symptoms end. Zika virus in pregnant women can cause congenital microcephaly, Guillain-Barre syndrome and other neurological complications, said officials.
