Pune: Senior citizen infected with Zika virus recovers, says state health department

Pune: The city today reported a Zika virus infection case. A 67-year-old man who hails from Nashik has been infected with Zika virus infection. He has been admitted to Jehangir hospital and recovered. The Maharashtra public health department has launched an eco-epidemiological survey in Wadgaonsheri, Pune, after a four-year-old boy from the area was diagnosed with Japanese Encephaliti (JE). He is in the rehabilitation phase, said authorities of BJ Medical College and Sassoon General Hospital on Thursday. 

The Maharashtra Surveillance Officer Dr Pradeep Awate said that the officials have collected 22 serum samples of children from Wadgaonsheri and sent them to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) for testing for JE infection. A house-to-house survey is also underway. Japanese Encephaliti is a mosquito-borne zoonotic viral disease caused by the JE virus.

Earlier, in July this year, a seven-year-old girl was found infected with Zika virus in Palghar district. Prior to this, the first-ever patient was found in Pune in July last year. A 50-year-old woman, a resident of Belsar village in Purandar tehsil, received her test report on July 30, 2021. Besides Zika infection, she was also infected by Chikungunya.

Zika virus spreads through aedes aegypti mosquitoes and most patients do not show symptoms. Typical symptoms include fever, body ache and conjunctivitis. Pregnant women should be careful. 

Dr Awate said, ‘’Zika is a moderate disease as 80% patients do not get any symptoms and the remaining 20% have moderate flu-like symptoms. One can recover by drinking enough water, taking rest and having a simple paracetamol tablet.’’