Additional Director of Public Health, Nilam Patel, stated on Thursday that a 70-year-old patient who had recently contracted the Zika virus has been discharged after receiving treatment in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
Patel explained that the patient was initially admitted to a private hospital in Ahmedabad with symptoms of fever and joint pain. A sample was sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune, which confirmed the presence of the Zika virus.
“A confirmed case of Zika virus was reported in the last week of October. The patient, who is over 70 years old, exhibited symptoms of fever, chills, and joint pain. He was admitted to a private hospital in Ahmedabad. After initial examination indicated a possible Zika infection, a sample was sent to NIV Pune for further testing,” Patel told ANI
Patel added, “We received confirmation of the positive Zika virus result from Pune on October 28.”
“When we followed up with the patient, we discovered he had been discharged on October 27 after showing significant improvement,” Patel noted. “Our team visited his home in Sector 5 and confirmed that he had not traveled recently and is a local resident.”
Patel also mentioned that between October 29 and November 3, no new suspected cases of Zika virus were detected.
“To carry out preventive measures, our teams conducted surveillance at over 72 sites during that period, but no additional suspected cases were found,” Patel said.
Zika virus, a viral infection primarily transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, can also spread through pregnancy to the fetus, as well as through sexual contact, blood transfusions, and organ transplants.
As reported by Economic Times, the infection is generally mild and does not usually require specific treatment. However, it can have severe consequences during pregnancy, including microcephaly and other congenital malformations, preterm birth, and miscarriage. In rare cases, Zika virus infection can result in Guillain-Barré syndrome, a neurological condition.
According to a Ministry of Health and Family Welfare release, India reported its first Zika virus case in Gujarat in 2016. Since then, states including Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Kerala, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Karnataka have also reported cases.