In late October 2024, a 70-year-old resident of Sector 5, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, was diagnosed with the Zika virus. The patient, who had no recent travel history, exhibited symptoms including fever, chills, and joint pain. He was admitted to a private hospital in Ahmedabad, where initial assessments suggested a possible Zika infection. A sample sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune confirmed the diagnosis on October 28. The patient had been discharged a day earlier, on October 27, after his condition improved.
Following this case, health officials conducted extensive surveillance from October 29 to November 3, visiting over 72 locations. No additional suspected Zika cases were identified during this period.
Zika Virus in India: Current Status
India reported its first Zika case in Gujarat in 2016. Since then, several states, including Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Kerala, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Karnataka, have reported cases. In 2024, Maharashtra experienced a notable increase, with 28 cases reported by July, the highest since 2021. Pune alone accounted for 24 of these cases.
As of July 22, 2024, India has reported a total of 537 Zika virus cases since the first detection in 2017. The distribution of cases across various states is as follows:
Gujarat: 3 cases
Karnataka: 4 cases
Kerala: 97 cases
Madhya Pradesh: 260 cases
Maharashtra: 21 cases
Rajasthan: 1 case
Tamil Nadu: 1 case
Uttar Pradesh: 150 cases
These figures are based on data from the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
The Zika virus is primarily transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes but can also spread through maternal-fetal transmission, sexual contact, blood transfusion, and organ transplantation. While the illness is generally mild and often requires no specific treatment, it poses significant risks during pregnancy, potentially leading to congenital malformations such as microcephaly, as well as preterm birth and miscarriage. In rare instances, Zika virus infection may result in Guillain-Barré syndrome, a neurological disorder.
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Health authorities continue to monitor and respond to Zika cases, emphasizing the importance of mosquito control measures and public awareness to mitigate the spread of the virus.
