Pune: Three more patients test positive for Zika, total cases rise to 12

Pune (Maharashtra): Three more patients tested positive for Zika in Pune city on Monday, taking the total caseload to 12, Pune Municipal Corporation Health Officer, Kalpana Baliwant said.

The Union Health Ministry has urged the states to maintain a constant state of vigilance through screening of pregnant women for Zika virus infection and monitoring the growth of the foetus of expecting mothers who have tested positive.

The health facilities and hospitals have been assigned a nodal officer to monitor and act to keep the premises Aedes mosquito-free.

Additionally, states have been instructed to strengthen their entomological surveillance and intensify their vector control activities in residential areas, workplaces, schools, construction sites, institutions and health facilities.

The first case of the virus in Pune was reported by a doctor and his teenage daughter, who were living in the same area as two other cases. The health officials have conducted inspections and collected samples from the affected area.

Dr. Kalpana Baliwant, the health officer for the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), stated that among the 25 samples collected, 12 were from Erandwane and seven included pregnant women. Out of the tested, two had tested positive.

Additional 13 samples were collected from Mundhwa, however, no reports were positive for these.

Pregnant women who are infected with Zika are considered to be at a higher risk so health officials have been conducting anomaly scans or them and increasing surveillance in the affected areas.

The spread of the virus in the city is a cause of concern and efforts are being made to control the outbreak and prevent further infections.

The PMC has also urged citizens to follow the guidelines and take necessary precautions to prevent the spread of the virus. Assurance has been given by the police that they are closely monitoring the situation and taking necessary measures to control the spread of the virus in the city.