This story is from November 21, 2018

Zika causing microcephaly not found in Jaipur: ICMR

Zika causing microcephaly not found in Jaipur: ICMR
Zika virus
JAIPUR: Pregnant women in their first trimester, who were tested positive for Zika in Jaipur, can now breathe a huge sigh of relief. It has been confirmed by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) that Zika virus strain that causes microcephaly is not found in the state. However, health officials will remain vigilant of the possibility of adverse pregnancy outcomes, in women exposed to Zika virus, as the strain may mutate in future.

Microcephaly is a condition where a baby born to a mother infected with Zika virus is with abnormal smallness of the head and incomplete brain development.
There were 47 pregnant women in their first trimester, who were tested positive for Zika from September 22 to October 29 in Jaipur. There were apprehensions and fear among health authorities that infants born to pregnant women who were tested positive for Zika in first trimester, were at higher risk of having microcephaly. In first trimester, organs such as brain of a fetus develop. Zika virus may affect brain development of fetus. In some countries, children born to Zika-affected pregnant women have microcephaly.
ICMR and National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, have conducted advanced molecular studies of Zika virus strains, carried out through Next Generation Sequencing suggest that the known mutations linked to fetal microcephaly and high transmissibility of Zika virus in Aedes mosquitoes are not present in the current Zika virus strain that has affected Rajasthan. “Two pregnant women, who were tested positive for Zika in the city have delivered healthy babies,” said Dr Ravi Prakash Mathur, additional director (rural health), health department. As many as 159 cases of Zika were found from Shastri Nagar, Vidhyadhar Nagar and from a place in Sindhi Camp area.
Teams from ICMR-NIV, Pune came to the city during outbreak of Zika in the city during September-October. ICMR-NIV has sequenced five Zika virus strains collected at different time points of the Jaipur outbreak, for conducting advanced molecular studies of Zika virus strains.
Even though the ICMR and NIV, Pune has confirmed that Zika virus strain that causes microcephaly was not found in the state, the Centre is maintaining high vigil of the possibility of adverse pregnancy outcomes in women exposed to Zika virus, as the strain may mutate in future or some other unknown/host factors may play a role in microcephaly or other birth defects.
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