10 pregnant women infected with Zika give birth to healthy babies

As many as 10 pregnant women in Pune who had earlier tested positive for Zika virus infection have given birth to healthy babies, bringing relief to their families and the health department, officials said on Wednesday. These deliveries were reported between September and October.

The city of Pune reported its first case of Zika virus this year on June 20 and till date there have been as many as 107 confirmed cases of Zika virus, including 45 pregnant women.

Dr Rajesh Karyakarte, Maharashtra coordinator for genome sequencing and head of the Microbiology department at BJ Medical College, said phylogenetic analyzes show that the Asian lineage is responsible for the recent epidemics.

“No incidents of microcephaly or congenital malformations in infants due to Zika virus have yet been reported in the country. The virus continues to mutate and studies are underway to identify the mutation or new variant of the virus in circulation. However, few and poor sample quality are a challenge to conduct whole genome sequencing studies,” said Dr. Karyakarte.

Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) health officials have been monitoring these pregnant mothers and the abnormality scans of the remaining 34 pregnant women are normal. However, a 33-year-old woman from Hadapsar-Mundwa ward who was 13 weeks pregnant has had her pregnancy terminated, despite doctors claiming it was not due to Zika.

According to Dr Rajesh Dighe, Deputy Health Officer, PMC, the woman has terminated her pregnancy due to unknown reasons.

“The termination has nothing to do with Zika virus infection. Both the new mothers and the babies are currently in good health and all the babies are said to be free of any deformities,” he said.

According to Dr. Sunita Tandulwadkar, head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Ruby Hall Clinic, the Zika virus can significantly affect pregnancy and can cause serious birth defects.

“The main concern is microcephaly, a condition where the baby’s head is smaller than normal, which can lead to brain damage. In addition, the Zika virus can cause developmental delays, as well as vision and hearing problems,” Dr. Tandulwadar added.

After the Zika virus outbreak in the city, Dr Radhakrishnan Pawar, then joint director of health services and head of the state’s vector-borne disease control programme, had issued orders to PMC to conduct surveillance and contain mosquitoes that they were reproduced within a radius of five kilometers. of the affected area.

“Prior to 2015, ZIKV infections were mainly confined to Africa and Asia, where symptoms were mild and not associated with severe pathology. However, the Zika virus outbreak in Brazil in 2015 drew attention international attention on ZIKV due to its correlation with severe neurological impairments, including microcephaly and Guillain-Barré syndrome,” reported Dr. Karyakarte.

PMC health chief Dr Nina Borade said the health department is monitoring the health of all expectant mothers who have tested positive for the Zika virus in the past.

“According to government guidelines, expectant mothers are suggested to undergo two ultrasound examinations. Serial ultrasound, if necessary, should be at the discretion of the attending gynecologist and radiologists concerned,” he said.