Maharashtra reports first case of Zika virus in Pune district

Pune: Maharashtra reported its first case of Zika virus infection after a 50-year-old woman from Purandar area in Pune district tested positive for the virus.

A state health department in a statement issued on Sunday said that the woman has recovered from the virus and she and her family members have no symptoms at present.

According to the health department, several cases of fever were reported from Belsar village in Purandar tehsil near Pune from the beginning of July. Five samples were sent to National Institute Of Virology (NIV), Pune, for testing and three of them tested positive for Chikungunya.

Thereafter, an NIV team visited Belsar and Parinche villages between July 27 and July 29 and collected blood samples of 41 people. Out of these, 25 tested positive for Chikungunya, three for Dengue and one for Zika virus, the release added.

The state's quick response team visited the area yesterday and spoke to local residents about the precautions they must take. The health department will also conduct a door-to-door survey in the village.

The Pune district administration has requested people not to panic. It has said that the case was detected owing to the proactive work by the teams on the field. The administration said it is working hard to contain the spread.

Prior to this, only Kerala had reported cases of Zika virus infection this year. The southern state currently has 63 cases of the infection.

The infection is spread by Aedes mosquitoes, which are also carriers of Dengue and Chikungunya.

Some common symptoms of a Zika virus infection are fever, body aches, rash, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain, malaise or headache.

Symptoms generally last for 2-7 days and most people infected do not develop symptoms, according to the World Health Organization. (UNI)