Maharashtra reports first case of Zika virus infection in 50-year-old woman from Pune district

As part of surveillance, samples of village residents who had fever, and who had reported to the Primary Health Centre at Belsar, were sent to the NIV in Pune.

The NIV confirmed on Sunday that the patient had tested positive for Zika virus. (Representative)

The first case of Zika virus infection in Maharashtra has been reported from Purandar tehsil in Pune district. A 50-year-old woman from Belsar village in Purandar tehsil was detected with fever in mid-July and her sample tested positive for Zika infection, in a test conducted by the National Institute of Virology (NIV), on July 30. She was also detected with chikungunya.

Zika is a mosquito-borne disease and while surveillance has been stepped up, the disease presentation has been mild, state Surveillance Officer Dr Pradeep Awate told The Indian Express. Of the three members in the family, the woman had the co-infection of Zika and chikungunya, her daughter had chikungunya fever while her son didn’t have any of the infections. However, all of them are stable, said Dr Awate.

The common symptoms of the disease are body ache, conjunctivitis, retro-orbital pain and skin rashes, Dr Awate said. The woman had symptoms from July 15 and her sample tested positive for Zika virus and chikungunya infection on July 30, said Dr Awate.

As part of surveillance, samples of village residents who had fever, and who had reported to the Primary Health Centre at Belsar, were sent to the NIV in Pune. Initially, five samples were sent on July 16, of which three were detected with chikungunya.

A team from NIV, under the guidance of scientist Dr Yogesh Gurav, visited the village and collected 41 samples from Belsar and Parinche villages. Of these, 25 tested positive for chikungunya while three tested positive for dengue virus, said Dr Awate, who visited the village along with the state surveillance department team.

“We have taken immediate measures like surveillance of fever cases at seven villages located within 5 km of Belsar village, where the woman was detected with Zika virus infection. The infection is also caused by the aedes aegypti mosquito, which also causes dengue and chikungunya. We have also issued strict instructions to specially exercise precautionary measures for pregnant women as those who contract Zika virus infection are at risk of miscarriage,” said Dr Awate.

Meanwhile, the Pune district administration has urged people not to panic because of the Zika infection. “It is due to the proactive work of the field teams that the case was detected. We are working hard to contain the spread and make the best healthcare available to our residents,” said a district health official.

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According to experts, when symptoms of Zika virus infection do occur, they usually begin two to 14 days after a person is bitten by an infected mosquito. Symptoms usually last for about a week and most people recover fully.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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