Pune: A 46-year-old doctor and his teenage daughter in Maharashtra's Pune city have tested positive for Zika virus infection but their health condition is stable, an official said on Wednesday.
The man recently developed symptoms like fever and rashes, following which he was admitted to a private hospital. The medical facility sent his blood samples to the city-based National Institute of Virology (NIV) for analysis. On June 21, his report confirmed that he had tested positive for Zika virus infection, a Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) health official said.
He told that the doctor is a resident of Erandwane area of the city.
"After he tested positive, blood samples of five of his family members were collected and sent for analysis, and it was found that his 15-year-old daughter was also positive for the infection," the officer said.
Zika virus disease is spread by the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito, which is also known to spread infections such as dengue and chikungunya. This virus was first identified in Uganda in 1947.
The official said that after these two cases were reported in the city, the health department of PMC has started surveillance.
Although no other suspected cases have been found in the area, officials have started taking precautionary measures like fogging and fumigation to prevent mosquito breeding, he said.
"Samples of mosquitoes have been collected by the state health department. We have started general public awareness in the area and have given instructions to monitor the health of pregnant women in the area. Zika normally does not cause serious complications, But in case a pregnant woman gets infected, it can cause microcephaly in the fetus," he said.
The man recently developed symptoms like fever and rashes, following which he was admitted to a private hospital. The medical facility sent his blood samples to the city-based National Institute of Virology (NIV) for analysis. On June 21, his report confirmed that he had tested positive for Zika virus infection, a Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) health official said.
He told that the doctor is a resident of Erandwane area of the city.
"After he tested positive, blood samples of five of his family members were collected and sent for analysis, and it was found that his 15-year-old daughter was also positive for the infection," the officer said.
Zika virus disease is spread by the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito, which is also known to spread infections such as dengue and chikungunya. This virus was first identified in Uganda in 1947.
The official said that after these two cases were reported in the city, the health department of PMC has started surveillance.
Although no other suspected cases have been found in the area, officials have started taking precautionary measures like fogging and fumigation to prevent mosquito breeding, he said.
"Samples of mosquitoes have been collected by the state health department. We have started general public awareness in the area and have given instructions to monitor the health of pregnant women in the area. Zika normally does not cause serious complications, But in case a pregnant woman gets infected, it can cause microcephaly in the fetus," he said.