Zika Virus: 2 more pregnant women test positive, overall count reaches 15

In response to the outbreak, a heightened focus on maternal health is evident, as reflected by the testing of 16 samples from pregnant women recently.

The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has said that two pregnant women, aged 18 and 19, tested positive for the Zika virus, taking the total number of infected expecting mothers to eight and the overall case count in the Maharashtra city to 15, reports said.

PMC Assistant Chief Medical Officer Dr Rajesh Dighe said that the two women who tested positive are the with mosquitoes-borne illness are from slum areas of the Pashan suburb where uncovered water containers serve as breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

The Zika virus 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.

According to WHO, the majority of people infected with the Zika virus do not develop symptoms. Symptoms are generally mild including fever, rash, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain and headache, and usually last for two–seven days.

In pregnant women, it may cause microcephaly (condition in which the head is significantly smaller due to abnormal brain development) in the foetus.

The 18-year-old woman is in her 28th week of pregnancy, while the 19-year-old is in her 23rd week. Both experienced symptoms such as joint pain and headache but are currently stable, a report said.

The Centre has asked states to mandate healthcare providers treating patients in impacted regions and health institutions to screen pregnant women for Zika virus infection and track the development of the foetus for would-be-mothers who have tested positive.

A total of Rs 1.3 lakh in fines has been imposed on societies and under-construction sites where mosquito breeding spots were found in Pune. On July 9, breeding sites were identified at 354 residences spanning Warje, Karvenagar, Mundhwa, Pashan, Ambegaon, Sinhagad Road, Kharadi, and Kalas.