Pune health officials have confirmed that six cases of Zika virus infection were reported in the city till July 1 and the patients include two pregnant women.
An official told PTI, "A 28-year-old pregnant woman from the Erandwane area was detected with Zika virus infection. Her reports came positive on Friday."
He continued, "Another woman, who is 12 weeks pregnant, was detected with the infection on Monday. The condition of both women is good and they have no symptoms."
Reportedly, the Zika virus in pregnant women can lead to microcephaly in the fetus, where the baby's head is much smaller due to abnormal brain development.
Speaking of the rest of the patients, the officials said that the first case of Zika virus infection was reported from Erandwane when a 46-year-old doctor's report returned positive.
"After that his 15-year-old daughter's samples also tested positive. The other two cases, of a 47-year-old woman and 22-year-old man, are from Mundhwa," the official added.
He also mentioned that the Pune Municipal Corporation's health department was conducting surveillance and taking measures such as fogging and fumigation as a precautionary measure to control the breeding of mosquitoes.
The Zika virus disease is transmitted through the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito, which is also known to transmit infections like dengue and chikungunya. The virus was first identified in Uganda in 1947.
