The first Zika virus infection case in Maharashtra has been reported from the Pune district. However, Dr Pradip Awate, Maharashtra's Surveillance Officer, told news agency ANI that the infection in the patient is mild.
"First case of Zika virus has been reported from Belsar village in Pune. The infection in the patient is mild and no other member of his family has developed any symptom of the infection. This infection does not need specific treatment," Dr Awate said in an interview with ANI.
He further informed that the infected lady had a mixed infection as she tested positive for Chikungunya also.
"Since the first week of July, several cases with fever were being reported in Belsar village. From the samples that we sent for testing, 21 people had Chikungunya, three had Dengue and one was reported positive for Zika and Chikungunya both," he said.
"No specific treatment is required for Zika virus. Taking routine medicine for fever and hydrating helps in recovering from the virus," said Dr Awate. He also informed that the Zika virus patient in Belsar has recovered.
Zika virus spreads through the bite of the aedes aegypti mosquito and most patients do not have symptoms. The typical symptoms include fever, body ache and conjunctivitis, and pregnant women should be more careful.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), individuals infected with the Zika virus can also transmit the disease to their sex partners.
What are symptoms of Zika virus?
The symptoms for the mosquito-borne disease include mild and include fever, rash, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain, malaise or headache. The incubation period of Zika virus disease is estimated to be 3–14 days and the symptoms typically last for 2–7 days. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), most people with this virus infection do not develop symptoms.
The symptoms of Zika are similar to dengue including skin rashes and joint pain.
What is prevention and treatment for Zika virus?
There is no specific treatment or vaccine for virus and so the development of the Zika vaccine still remains an active area of research. The UN health agency advises people with symptoms to get plenty of rest, drink fluids, and “treat pain and fever with common medicines.
The virus infection can only be prevented by avoiding mosquito bites. Special attention should be given to prevent mosquito bites among pregnant women, women of reproductive age, and young children, advices WHO.
