Pune Reports 66 Zika Virus Cases; Four Deaths Linked to Pre-Existing Conditions

Pune Reports 66 Zika Virus Cases; Four Deaths Linked to Pre-Existing Conditions

Ashiq Butt | August 6, 2024 | 11:08 PM IST | Breaking News, Pune, World | Follow on Google News

Pune Reports 66 Zika Virus Cases; Four Deaths Linked to Pre-Existing Conditions

Pune Reports 66 Zika Virus Cases; Four Deaths Linked to Pre-Existing Conditions

Key Highlights:

• 66 confirmed Zika cases reported in Pune, including 26 pregnant women.
• Four deaths occurred but were linked to existing health issues, not Zika.
• Health department is actively managing the outbreak through control measures.

Pune has reported at least 66 confirmed cases of Zika Virus, according to civic officials on Tuesday. Among the infected individuals are 26 pregnant women who are being closely monitored, though most are in good health.

The first reported case this year was on June 20, when a 46-year-old doctor and later his 15-year-old daughter tested positive for the virus.

Four patients who tested positive for Zika have died; however, these deaths have been attributed to pre-existing health conditions rather than the Zika virus itself. The deceased individuals were between 68 and 78 years old.

Despite these deaths, no fatalities have been directly attributed to Zika virus infection, as confirmed by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). The health department will submit the reports of the deceased patients to the Maharashtra government’s death audit committee for further review.

Zika virus infection during pregnancy can lead to microcephaly, a condition where the baby’s head is much smaller than normal due to abnormal brain development.

The virus is transmitted through the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito, which also spreads dengue and chikungunya.

In response to the outbreak, the PMC health department is implementing measures such as surveillance and fumigation to control mosquito breeding and prevent further spread of the virus.

Ashiq Butt

Ashiq Butt – is VoM News's senior staffer worked since year 2015 and he deals with correspondency and social media handles. Hailing from Doda's Marmat, Ashiq has strong grip over the collection of the data and it's compiling feature.