Checks on fever cases among pregnant to increase in state

MUMBAI: Following a high-level meeting on Zika viral disease convened by the Centre on Monday, the state public health department has alerted its machinery to increase surveillance of fever cases, particularly in pregnant women. Exposure to the viral infection during pregnancy can cause infants to be born with microcephaly (smaller head) and other congenital malformations.
Dr Sanjeev Kamble, head of directorate of health services (DHS), said till date Maharashtra has not had any zika-positive case. But, since the vector that causes dengue and chikungunya, also transmits zika, surveillance has been increased. He said the state has also told the airport authorities to keep an eye on passengers from Rajasthan, where the count of zika-positive cases has crossed 60 as on Monday. An 85-year-old woman from Jaipur was said to be the first casualty of Zika virus.
Dr Kamble said as part of surveillance in the state, National Institute of Virology (Pune) was told to test samples of nearly 100 pregnant women from Pune and Nashik with fever and flu-like symptoms. “It was random sampling and not even one has come positive for Zika. Despite that we have increased fever surveillance through the community and hospitals,” said Kamble.
Around 11 busy maternity centres reporting high volume child births across the state have been put on microcephaly alert. “At these centres, the care-givers will keep an eye on the head circumference of newborns, which can serve as an indicator,” said Kamble. Apart from treatment, testing facilities will be expanded. Kamble said NIV will handhold six centres, including hospitals in Solapur, Wardha and Dhule, to carry out tests. Vector control measures to curb breeding of aedes aegypti mosquitoes are also being strengthened.