The death audit committee (DAC) probing five suspected Zika virus deaths in the city has found that other underlying health conditions were the cause, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) officials said on Sunday.
Pune city has reported 100 cases of Zika virus this year, of which five have died due to ZIKV virus infection. These deaths have created panic among citizens, given the large number of infected patients. Officials said the PMC had handed over the details of suspected deceased patients to the committee to ascertain the possible causes of death.
PMC health chief Dr Neena Borade said the DAC report has been received and it states that Zika was not the cause of death. “The deceased had other underlying health conditions and comorbidities. All the deceased were elderly and had multiple health issues,” she said.
The PMC has reported five deaths, including a 76-year-old man from Warje, a 72-year-old man from Kharadi, a 68-year-old man from Kothrud, a 78-year-old man from Baner and a 95-year-old woman from Pashan, who were undergoing treatment at private hospitals.
According to PMC officials, the committee has submitted its report outlining the causes of death of Zika-infected patients in the city. Patients of older age and those already suffering from chronic health conditions have a higher risk of the disease resulting in a fatal outcome. The Zika infection in this case was an incidental finding. The ZIKV virus does not cause serious health issues in infected patients. A senior PMC doctor said a systematic assessment of the causes of death and pre-existing health conditions, clinical records and death certificates was done.
The Zika virus cases include 45 pregnant women. Of these, 40 are more than 16 weeks pregnant. The anomaly scan report of 33 pregnant women was found to be normal.
The Zika virus is spread through the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito, which is known to transmit infections such as dengue and chikungunya. Most people infected with Zika either remain asymptomatic (up to 80%) or show mild symptoms of fever, rash, conjunctivitis, body aches and joint pain. The virus can spread from person to person before symptoms begin, during symptoms and after symptoms end. In pregnant women, Zika virus can cause congenital microcephaly, Guillain-Barre syndrome and other neurological complications, officials said.