Mumbai reports first Zika case in Chembur

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A Chembur resident has become the first person in Mumbai to get infected by the Zika virus. The man has recovered, despite co-morbidities, said the BMC on Wednesday.

The 79-year-old man exhibited symptoms like fever, a stuffy nose and a cough since July 19 and was receiving treatment at a private health facility. "The patient recovered and was discharged on August 2," an official at the BMC's health department said.

He had diabetes, hypertension, ischemic heart disease (also known as coronary heart disease), and thalassemia minor. He had also undergone an angioplasty 20 years ago. The case was brought to the attention of the BMC's health department by the National Viral Institute in Pune.

BMC's preventive measures

BMC surveyed households in the vicinity of the patient's residence, officials said. Aedes mosquito breeding sites were detected in the parking lots of buildings in the ward and were destroyed. "No more suspected Zika virus cases have been detected," the official said. The Zika virus causes a mild illness and the disease is transmitted by infected Aedes mosquitoes, which also transmit dengue and chikungunya, the BMC said. "Even though it is a viral disease, it does not spread as rapidly as COVID-19," the official said.

Symptoms

Typical symptoms of Zika virus disease are fever, skin rashes, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain, malaise and headaches. The disease is self-limiting, with 80 per cent of infected patients remaining asymptomatic, the BMC said.

Currently, KEM hospital is the only BMC-run facility that conducts tests for the virus. The health department has advised citizens to cover all water tanks and containers tightly, as well as to dispose of unused containers, junk material, tires, coconut shells, etc. to avoid water accumulation.