Updated On: 17 November, 2023 05:13 AM IST | Mumbai | Eshan Kalyanikar
Health dept swings into action after case found in Pune

NIV first identifies the mosquito species in the samples. Representation Pic
Seven cases of zika virus have been reported in Maharashtra this year, with two in Mumbai in late August, another two in Kolhapur, one in Ichalkaranji around the same time, one in Pandharpur, and the latest one reported in Pune.
The state health department has swung into action and initiated disease surveillance, which includes coordinating with medical health officers in urban areas and collecting samples from infected patients and contacts which will be further investigated by the National Institute of Virology (NIV). “We even capture mosquitoes, their eggs and larvae from areas where cases are reported and send them to NIV for further investigation,” said Dr Pratapsinh Sarnikar, state’s joint director of health.