Health Ministry Issues Advisory Amid Zika Virus Cases in Maharashtra

To ensure timely detection and control of any potential outbreaks, state authorities have been advised to remain vigilant, prepared, and ensure the availability of appropriate logistics at all levels.

In response to reported cases of the Zika virus in Maharashtra, Dr. Atul Goel, Director General of Health Services (DGHS) at the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, has issued an advisory to states, emphasizing the need for constant vigilance over the Zika virus situation in the country.

Given that Zika is associated with microcephaly and neurological consequences in the fetuses of affected pregnant women, states have been advised to alert clinicians for close monitoring. Health facilities in affected areas, or those catering to cases from affected regions, are instructed to screen pregnant women for Zika virus infection, monitor the growth of fetuses of those who test positive, and act according to Central Government guidelines. States are also instructed to designate a nodal officer in health facilities and hospitals to ensure premises are free of Aedes mosquitoes.

The advisory highlights the importance of strengthening entomological surveillance and intensifying vector control activities in residential areas, workplaces, schools, construction sites, institutions, and health facilities. States are urged to promote awareness through precautionary IEC messages on social media and other platforms to reduce panic among the community. Although Zika is mostly asymptomatic and mild, it is crucial to note that no reports of Zika-associated microcephaly have occurred in the country since 2016.

To ensure timely detection and control of any potential outbreaks, state authorities have been advised to remain vigilant, prepared, and ensure the availability of appropriate logistics at all levels. Any detected case must be immediately reported to the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) and the National Center for Vector-Borne Diseases Control (NCVBDC).

Zika testing facilities are available at the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune, the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in Delhi, and a few selected virus research and diagnostic laboratories of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). Reviews are being conducted at higher levels to monitor the situation.

Earlier this year, the DGHS issued an advisory on April 26, and the Director of NCVBDC issued two advisories in February and April 2024, to warn states about Zika, Dengue, and Chikungunya, all transmitted by the same mosquito vector.

The Union Health Ministry continues to closely monitor the situation.