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Year later, all 42 Zika-infected pregnant women deliver healthy babies

Zika virus infection during pregnancy, as per various studies, can lead to microcephaly, a condition where the baby is born with a smaller than expected head size.

3 min readPuneJun 2, 2025 08:37 PM IST

Dr Nameeta Mokashi Bhalerao, a gynaecologist and fertility consultant at Baner, in Pune, who treated pregnant woman who had encountered Zika-virus. (Express Photo)

Dr Nameeta Mokashi Bhalerao, a gynaecologist and fertility consultant at Baner, recalled how she would double-check each image of the foetus’s brain, heart, spinal cord during the ultrasound examination, knowing what was at stake. “This was a precious pregnancy for my patient as the 36-year-old woman had a previous miscarriage, three failed IVF cycles and had finally conceived. But to her extreme dismay, she had contracted Zika virus infection,” Dr Bhalerao said.

Zika virus infection during pregnancy, as per various studies, can lead to microcephaly, a condition where the baby is born with a smaller than expected head size. There was visible concern when a year ago Pune battled a challenging outbreak of Zika virus infection with nearly half of the 109 cases reported among pregnant women. While health authorities-maintained vigilance and monitored the pregnant women, a year-on data with Pune Municipal Corporation shows that barring one woman who had voluntarily decided to terminate her pregnancy, all the 42 other women have given birth.

The 36-year-old woman who gave birth to a healthy boy is among this group and when contacted, her husband who requested anonymity, told The Indian Express that it was an extremely stressful situation.

“It was towards the end of the first trimester when my wife developed a rash and had a mild fever. We remember reading about Zika virus infection in the newspapers and our worst fears turned true when her blood report was positive for the virus. We consulted several doctors including paediatric specialists and neurosurgeons. We were given options on terminating the pregnancy, but it was too hard to digest that this was happening to us. It is indeed a precious pregnancy, and we decided to go ahead with it,” he said.

On December 31, 2024, his wife gave birth to a 3.5 kg healthy baby and post-delivery too scans were taken to rule out any deformity. Dr Bhalerao, who handled this case, remembered how excited the couple was and then the woman got a rash and itch that was not settling.

“She had contracted Zika virus infection in the first trimester–a period where organ development occurs in the foetus. The first three months are crucial and naturally the couple was extremely worried. On my part, we sent out messages to gynaecologists’ WhatsApp groups seeking more information. While the Zika virus infection was treated, the couple decided to continue the pregnancy and several investigations were carried out including brain MRI of the foetus, doppler studies and others. Eventually a C-section was planned, and the woman gave birth to a healthy baby,” Dr Bhalerao recalled.

When contacted, Dr Rajesh Dighe, Assistant Health Officer, Pune Municipal Corporation, said cases of Zika were reported mainly from Erandwane, Kothrud, Ghole Road, Wadarwadi, Pashan, Mundhwa, and Kharadi. Of the total 43 Zika-infected pregnant women, one decided to voluntarily terminate her pregnancy. “However, all the others have given birth to healthy babies,” Dr Dighe said. Anomaly scans were done after 23-24 weeks of pregnancy, and they were normal. Accredited Social Health Activists and Auxiliary Nursing Midwives have also conducted home-based follow-up visits to ensure newborn care, the official said, adding that surveillance activities were intensified as part of their preparedness levels this monsoon season.

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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