This is an archive article published on November 2, 2018

Brazilian gene resulting in birth defects missing in Indian zika virus: ICMR

A team of scientists from National Institute of Virology in Pune have just finished a full genome sequencing of the zika virus spreading in India and concluded that the gene responsible for causing microcephaly in Brazil was absent in the Indian strain.

3 min readPuneNov 2, 2018 05:10 AM IST

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In 2015, a similar outbreak in Brazil was found to have been responsible for serious birth defects in some newborns. (Source: File Photo)

The zika virus that has currently infected 163 persons in India lacks a particular gene that had led to serious birth disorders in new-born babies delivered by infected mothers in Brazil three years ago, scientists have said.

A total of 163 persons have tested positive for zika virus in the country in the last three months, of which 64 are pregnant women. All but four of them, including all pregnant women, are in Jaipur. Two persons in Bhopal and one person each in Bihar and Gujarat have also tested positive.

In 2015, a similar outbreak in Brazil was found to have been responsible for serious birth defects in some newborns. Pregnant women infected with the virus had delivered babies with abnormally small heads, a condition referred to as microcephaly.

A team of scientists from National Institute of Virology in Pune have just finished a full genome sequencing of the zika virus spreading in India and concluded that the gene responsible for causing microcephaly in Brazil was absent in the Indian strain.

“The good news is that this mutation associated with microcephaly is not found in strains of zika virus that has infected persons in Jaipur,” Dr Balram Bhargava, director general of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), told The Indian Express.

However, the scientists say this still does not conclusively rule out the possibility of microcephaly in Indian cases, and all pregnant women were under close medical watch. “We cannot say microcephaly will surely not occur because there are several unknown factors that may still lead to the disorder,” said Bhargava.

Zika virus is primarily transmitted to people through the bite of female aedes mosquitoes, including aedes aegypti and aedes albopictus, also responsible for spreading chikungunya and dengue.

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ICMR scientists have been monitoring pregnancies of all 64 women who have tested positive for zika in Jaipur, and will track the growth of their children to record any developmental abnormalities, officials said.

In November 2015, Brazilian Ministry of Health had declared a public health emergency because of a dramatic increase of reported microcephaly among newborns. Then an intense international public health response had identified a causal link between zika virus infection and birth defects.

While Health Ministry has set up a joint monitoring group under Directorate General of Health Services and ICMR to monitor the status of zika virus in India, experts like Dr Anita Kar, who heads Birth Defects and Childhood Disability Centre in Pune, said it was extremely important to keep up with the surveillance throughout the country. “The vector is in the country and the focus has to be pregnant women,” she said, making a strong case for stepping up the campaign about zika virus.

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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