Two pregnant women are among the nine new cases of Zika virus confirmed in Pune, bringing the total number of infections in the city to 15, health officials said on Tuesday.
Over the past week alone, nine new cases have been confirmed, signalling a rapid uptick in infections, officials said.
The Pune Municipal Corporation has been closely monitoring the situation, having sent a total of 109 samples to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) lab for testing.
Among the samples sent recently, 16 were those of pregnant women, reflecting a heightened focus on maternal health amid the outbreak.
As per the details, one of the infected women resides in the Sinhagad road area and is currently 12-weeks pregnant. The second woman, residing in Yerawada, is 7-weeks pregnant.
Both individuals are reported to be in stable condition, underlining efforts to provide necessary medical care and monitoring. In addition to the new cases, a man has also been confirmed as a newly infected patient.
Last week, six people, including two pregnant women, were infected with the Zika virus. Four of these cases were reported in the city’s Erandwane area and two in the Mundhwa area.
This prompted the Union Health Ministry to issue an advisory to all states, asking them to take the necessary precautions and make all efforts possible to keep further spread of the infection at bay.
Meanwhile, health facilities and hospitals were also instructed to identify a nodal officer to monitor and act to keep the premises free of Aedes mosquitoes.
Zika virus in pregnant women may cause microcephaly (a condition in which the head is significantly smaller due to abnormal brain development) in the foetus.
The virus 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.