Pune District Accounts for 24 of Maharashtra’s 28 Zika Cases Amid Concerns Over Surveillance in Mumbai
Mumbai, 19th July 2024: Maharashtra has reported 28 Zika virus cases this year, marking the highest number since the first case appeared in 2021. Pune district alone accounts for 24 of these cases, while Mumbai has not recorded any. Experts suggest that the lack of cases in Mumbai may be due to insufficient surveillance and testing in the city.
A senior health official from Maharashtra expressed concern that given Pune’s high case count and Mumbai’s substantial transient population, it is unlikely the virus is truly absent from the city. “The lack of reported cases likely reflects gaps in surveillance rather than an actual absence of the virus,” the official stated.
Zika infections often present with no symptoms, leading many individuals to forgo medical consultations and resulting in potential under-reporting. This can skew data on the virus’s actual prevalence.
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has advised states to increase testing for Zika, particularly among patients showing symptoms similar to chikungunya and dengue but who test negative for those diseases. Despite this recommendation, the KEM Hospital—the only civic facility in Mumbai that conducts Zika testing—has yet to report any samples for testing.
Dr. Sudhakar Shinde, additional commissioner at the BMC, noted, “During the monsoon season, a range of viral and mosquito-borne diseases are prevalent. It’s impractical to test every patient for all diseases. However, we will conduct necessary tests if symptomatic patients are identified and take appropriate action. We are closely monitoring the situation.”
The WHO warns that Zika virus infection during pregnancy can lead to severe outcomes such as microcephaly, congenital abnormalities, pre-term births, and miscarriages. Microcephaly, characterized by an abnormally small head due to improper brain development, affects 5–15% of infants born to infected mothers. The virus is also associated with Guillain-Barré syndrome, neuropathy, and myelitis in both adults and children.
Dr. Bela Verma, head of the pediatric unit at JJ Hospital, emphasized the importance of Zika testing, especially for pregnant women. “Early detection is crucial for managing the disease effectively and mitigating the risk of complications,” she said.
Dr. Subhash Salunke, senior advisor at the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), criticized the state health department for focusing heavily on Pune while neglecting case detection in other districts. He stressed that Zika is not confined to specific areas and that randomized testing in regions with dengue and malaria cases is necessary. “It’s perplexing that Pune reports so many cases while other districts show none; this suggests inadequate sampling,” he concluded.
