The first Zika virus infection case in Maharashtra has been reported from Pune district, officials said, while also appealing to people not to panic.
A 50-year-old woman from Belsar village developed fever earlier this month, following which her samples were sent to the National Institute of Virology. On Friday, the institute confirmed she had contracted Zika virus, making her the first such case in Maharashtra. The report said that besides Zika infection, she was also infected by Chikungunya.
However, she has recovered completely and she and her family members have no symptoms at present, the state health department said.
Maharashtra's Surveillance Officer said a team from NIV visited the region and collected 41 samples from Belsar and Parinche villages. 25 samples tested positive for chikungunya, while three tested positive for dengue virus. The health department said it will be conducting surveys for Zika virus and other insect-borne diseases
Also watch: Everything you need to know about Zika virus reported in Kerala
Zika virus is spread by Aedes mosquitoes, which are also carriers of Dengue and Chikungunya.
Some common symptoms of a Zika virus infection are fever, body aches, rash, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain. According to experts, symptoms generally last for 2-7 days and most people infected do not develop symptoms.