Tejas Navale

Pune: Another pregnant woman from the Erandwane area has tested positive for the Zika virus, raising the total number of cases in the city to six. The civic administration has ramped up vigilance and health care surveys in the affected areas in response to this latest incident.

The newly affected woman, residing in Ganeshnagar within Erandwane, is currently in her 16th week of pregnancy. Initially asymptomatic, she tested positive for Zika following routine screening. She has since been admitted to a hospital for medical treatment and monitoring.

This case follows closely on the heels of another pregnant woman from the same area being diagnosed with the virus. In light of these developments, the health department has issued stringent guidelines advising pregnant women and senior citizens to adhere to safety norms to mitigate the risk of infection.

In addition to the confirmed cases, the administration has proactively sent samples from seven other pregnant women in the area for testing. Rajesh Dighe, the Assistant Health Officer, has confirmed that health teams are actively surveying the area and identifying and eliminating mosquito breeding sites to control the spread of the virus.

A high-level meeting was convened on Monday to address the growing outbreak. The meeting saw the participation of Joint Director of Health Department Dr. Radhakishan Pawar, officials from the Municipal Health Department, and scientists from the National Institute of Virology (NIV). A key outcome of the meeting was the recommendation to conduct genetic sequencing of the Zika virus, which will be carried out by NIV to better understand the virus's characteristics and to inform future containment strategies.