Pune News: 10 Healthy Babies Born Amid Zika Affected Patients: PMC Reports Positive Outcomes for Infected Pregnant Women
Pune News: 10 Healthy Babies Born Amid Zika Affected Patients: PMC Reports Positive Outcomes for Infected Pregnant Women
Pune city has recorded 100 cases of Zika virus between July and September this year, with 43 of those cases being pregnant women. This alarming number sparked concerns about the disease’s potential to cause birth defects.
However, in a recent update, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) health department announced that 10 of the 43 pregnant women have delivered healthy babies, with no signs of birth defects. Dr. Rajesh Dighe, assistant health officer with the PMC’s health department, shared, “We are happy to inform everyone that out of the 43 women who were confirmed with Zika infection, 10 have delivered healthy babies. The mothers are also healthy. The infection has not hampered the children’s growth.”
Furthermore, anomaly scans of the remaining 33 women show normal growth, and the PMC will continue to monitor them until delivery. According to the World Health Organization, 5-15% of infants born to infected women may experience Zika-related complications.
The Zika surge in Pune has been unusual this year, with the city fighting vector-borne infections like Zika, chikungunya, and dengue for the past four months. Dr. Dighe attributes the rise in reported Zika cases to increased testing and field surveillance by the PMC.
“The rise in reported numbers of Zika can be attributed to the increase in testing and field surveillance by PMC. And it’s this proactive approach that helped us detect infection in the 43 women,” Dr. Dighe said.
With Pune’s Zika count being the highest ever recorded in a Maharashtra district, the PMC’s efforts to contain the outbreak are crucial. The recent update brings major relief, but continued vigilance is necessary to ensure the health and safety of all residents.
