India's Zika Outbreak Intensives, 63 Pregnant Women Infected

Since 2016, the Zika virus (ZIKV) has been reported in India's 16 different states/union territories. According to local media, the ongoing Zika outbreak in the state of Maharashtra, India, has significantly expanded this year.

As of November 29, 2024, Maharashtra's Zika outbreak has reached 140 cases, five related fatalities, and 63 pregnant women. The majority of these cases are located in Pune.

While most Zika cases result from a bite from an infected mosquito, the virus is transmitted through sexual contact. Scientists have reported that ZIKV RNA is detectable in the semen of infected men for months.

Zika virus can be passed from a pregnant person to their fetus and can cause microcephaly, a medical condition involving a smaller-than-normal head.

With a population exceeding 7 million and over 1 million international visitors, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have maintained a Level 2—Practice Enhanced Precautions, Travel Health Advisory for this state in India since August 22, 2024.

The CDC recommends that pregnant women avoid travel to Maharashtra.

If travel is unavoidable, follow the Zika prevention recommendations strictly. And if you are planning pregnancy, you should delay pregnancy following travel based on the timeframes to prevent sexual transmission.

Travelers to Maharashtra should seek medical care immediately if they develop fever, rash, headache, joint or muscle pain, or red eyes during or after travel.

As of December 2024, the CDC reported 28 non-congenital Zika cases in the U.S. In Puerto Rico, the Department of Health says 16 Zika cases have been confirmed in 2024.

As of December 2, 2024, no approved Zika vaccine is available. However, Valneva SE's VLA1601 is a second-generation purified, inactivated, whole Zika vaccine candidate actively conducting clinical trials.