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Mumbai: Why are there no Zika cases in city?
Updated On: 14 July, 2024 07:00 AM IST | Mumbai | Eshan Kalyanikar
Only because we are not looking for it, say state health department officials
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The reason there are no reported cases of the Zika virus in Mumbai is that civic authorities are not actively looking for it, according to state health department officials. There have been 25 cases of mosquito-borne Zika virus reported in Maharashtra, 21 of which are situated in Pune. While Mumbai reports the highest number of dengue and malaria cases in the state every year, Zika doesn’t make the list even though it is highly transmissible.
The disease is spread by an infected Aedes mosquito, the same species that carries dengue and chikungunya. While Zika-related deaths are uncommon, according to the Union Health Ministry, the virus is associated with microcephaly (reduced head size) in babies born to affected pregnant women, which makes it a major concern. “From a public health standpoint, it is unlikely that there are no Zika cases in Mumbai. It is only when a case is reported from an area that there is a focus on mass testing within a five-km radius,” said Dr Radhakishan Pawar, deputy director of state health services.
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