Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], November 7 : Additional Director (Public Health) Nilam Patel in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, stated on Thursday that a 70-year-old patient recently infected with the Zika virus has been discharged after treatment.
He noted that the patient was initially admitted to a private hospital in Ahmedabad with symptoms of fever and joint pain. A sample was sent to NIV Pune, which confirmed the Zika virus infection.
"A positive case of Zika virus was reported in the last week of October. The patient, over 70 years old, presented with fever, chills, and joint pain. He was admitted to a private hospital in Ahmedabad. After a preliminary diagnosis raised the possibility of a Zika virus case, a sample was sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune," Patel told ANI.
Patel further mentioned, "On October 28, we received confirmation from Pune of the Zika virus case."
"When we attempted to contact the patient, we learned he had been discharged on October 27 following an improvement in his health," Patel added. "We sent a team to his residence in Sector 5, and it was confirmed he had no recent travel history--he is a local resident."
He also stated that no suspected Zika virus cases were found between October 29 and November 3.
"In an effort to implement preventive measures, our teams visited over 72 locations to conduct surveillance between October 29 and November 3. No suspected Zika virus cases were identified," Patel added.
Zika disease, a viral infection, is primarily transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes but can also spread to the foetus during pregnancy, through sexual contact, blood transfusion, and organ transplantation.
The illness is generally mild and typically requires no specific treatment. However, it can have serious consequences during pregnancy, potentially causing microcephaly and other congenital malformations in infants, as well as preterm birth and miscarriage. In rare cases, Zika virus infection may lead to Guillain-Barre syndrome, a neurological disorder.
In July, according to a release from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, India reported its first Zika case in Gujarat in 2016. Since then, multiple states, including Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Kerala, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Karnataka, have reported cases.