Pune district in Maharashtra has become a hotspot for Zika virus, with the region accounting for a staggering 125 out of 151 confirmed cases of the virus reported in India in 2024.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), between January 1, 2024 and December 31, 2024, a total of 151 Zika cases were recorded across three states — Maharashtra, Karnataka and Gujarat. Of these, Maharashtra reported the highest number, with 140 cases, followed by Karnataka with 10 and Gujarat with just one.
The WHO confirmed on January 29 that no cases of microcephaly or Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) have been linked to Zika in India as of December 31, 2024. While the virus remains a public health concern, these severe complications have not been observed in the reported cases.
Zika is primarily transmitted through the bite of infected Aedes mosquitoes but can also spread from mother to child during pregnancy, as well as through sexual contact, blood transfusions and organ transplants. At present, there is no definitive cure for the virus.
Pune’s significant contribution to the state’s Zika cases has prompted increased health surveillance. Of the 140 cases in Maharashtra, 125 have been detected in Pune, with smaller numbers in Ahmednagar (11) and one each in Kolhapur, Sangli, Solapur and the Mumbai suburban areas.
In Karnataka, seven cases were reported in Bengaluru Urban and three in Shivmoga. The single case in Gujarat was confirmed in Gandhinagar.
This surge in cases marks a sharp rise for Maharashtra, which recorded just one Zika case in 2021, three in 2022 and 18 in 2023. Likewise, Karnataka’s 2024 tally represents its highest since Zika was first reported there in 2022.
In response to the increase in cases, the Indian government issued an advisory on 3 July 2024, urging states to enhance their monitoring efforts. The Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), operated by the National Centre for Disease Control, is overseeing the surveillance of over 40 communicable diseases, including Zika.
State-designated laboratories under the IDSP are conducting regular screenings, with particular attention paid to pregnant women, given the risks of transmission to unborn children.
First identified in rhesus macaque monkeys in Uganda in 1947, Zika virus was later found to infect humans in Africa in the 1950s. India’s first reported case of Zika occurred in Gujarat in 2016 and since then, numerous other states, including Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Karnataka, have experienced outbreaks. However, these cases have not been associated with microcephaly, a birth defect often linked to Zika in other parts of the world.
The WHO acknowledged that the rise in Zika cases in Maharashtra in 2024 is unusual, given the widespread distribution of the Aedes mosquitoes across India. While the increase is concerning, the organisation stressed that the actual number of cases may be higher than reported, as between 60 and 80 percent of Zika infections are mild or asymptomatic.
Furthermore, the level of awareness of the disease among healthcare providers varies, which could lead to underreporting, WHO warned.