Elderly man found infected with Zika virus in Pune, now fully recovered: Maha health department

Zika virus is primarily transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito from the Aedes genus, mainly Aedes aegypti. (Representative image)

A 67-year-old man was found infected with Zika virus in Pune city of Maharashtra, but is now fully recovered and exhibiting no symptoms of the disease, the state health department said on Friday.

The man, who hails from Nashik and had a travel history to Surat in neighbouring Gujarat, was found infected last month, it said in a bulletin.

"He had come to Bavdhan area in Pune on November 6, but had gone to Surat later. On November 16, he visited Jehangir Hospital (in Pune) for treatment of fever, cough, joint-pain and fatigue, and tests conducted in a private laboratory on November 18 confirmed he was infected with the virus," it said.

Further tests at the premier National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune again confirmed the infection, it added.

"In the backdrop (of the infection), the health department has intensified the epidemiological survey in Pune city and Bavdhan area," it said.

In July this year, a seven-year-old girl was found infected with Zika virus in Palghar district near Mumbai.

The Zika virus disease is transmitted through the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito, which is also known to transmit infections like dengue and chikungunya. The virus was first identified in Uganda in 1947.