Centre deputes high level team to Maharashtra after Pune reports first case of Zika virus

On August 2, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare decided to depute a high-level multidisciplinary team to Maharashtra after the state reported its first case of the Zika virus. The team will support the state government in the management of Zika cases, the Centre said in a press release.

The Centre's team consists of three members - a public health expert from the office of Regional Director in Pune, a gynaecologist from Delhi's Lady Hardinge Medical College and an entomologist (an expert in the branch of zoology, specifically insects) from the National Institute of Malaria Research (NIMR), ICMR, New Delhi.

"The team shall work closely with the State Health Department, take a stock of the situation on the ground and assess whether the Union Health Ministry’s Action Plan for Zika Management is being implemented, and recommend necessary public health interventions for the management of Zika in the state," the government said.

First Zika virus case in Maharashtra

Maharashtra has reported its lone case of Zika virus infection at Belsar village in Pune. According to officials, the infection in the patient is mild and none of his family members has developed any symptoms.

Dr Pradip Awate, Maharashtra's Surveillance Officer, said that the infected woman had a mixed infection as she tested positive for Chikungunya. " Since the first week of July, several cases with fever were being reported in Belsar village. From the samples that we sent for testing, 21 people had Chikungunya, three had Dengue and one was reported positive for both ZIka and  Chikungunya," he said, reported ANI.

The official said that no specific treatment is required for the infection. However, he asserted that infected persons should take medicine for fever and drink plenty of water.

Meanwhile, Awate said that the state government is conducting a door-to-door survey to scan people for fever in the nearby villages. Zika virus is caused through bites of Aedes mosquitoes, who also spread Chikungunya, Dengue and Yellow fever. Symptoms include mild fever, body pain, rash conjunctivitis, malaise, or a headache.