Swine Flu outbreak in India

The number of deaths across India due to swine flu reached 774 on Saturday, with 31 more people succumbing to the disease. States like Gujarat, Rajasthan, Delhi, West Bengal witnessed a rise of swine flu cases and the figure of those infected with H1N1 virus stands at 12,963 till February 21, according to Union health ministry.

An eight-year-old boy died of swine flu on Friday while 11 fresh cases of H1N1 infection were detected in the last 24 hours. Most of these fresh cases are reported from Kolkata while two or three are from north 24 Parganas district.

The National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases (NICED) confirmed 21 newswine flu cases in the city and its surroundings on Wednesday. The total number of H1N1 patients in the state has now gone up to 167 while the death toll so far is 8. This is perhaps the largest number of cases reported on a single day during this outbreak. The state health department, however, claimed otherwise. 

Just when virologists were hoping for a natural weaning for the H1N1 virus due to the rising temperature, the mercury dipped again. The virus thrives in temperatures below 30 degrees Celsius. Virologists say the virus dissipates in temperatures between 32 and 34 degrees and dies when it crosses the 35-degree mark.

The H1N1 virus spreads through droplets expelled in the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. People are contagious from one day before to seven days after they develop symptoms which include fever, sore throat and coughing, diarrhoea, nausea.

Infection can be prevented from staying away from infected persons and observing personal hygiene. Washing hands frequently, covering nose and mouth while coughing and sneezing helps to an extent.

Pharmacy majors assured the Centre that there will be no swine flu drug and vaccine shortages as they have the raw material and capacity to ramp up production, if the need arises. The Centre has already purchased 1 lakh capsules of oseltamivir from Hetero Drugs.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked the health officials to ensure necessary treatment and adequate medicines for the disease while affected states have been offered central assistance as the death toll reached 743. Health authorities have also launched campaign over television and radio to tell people about precautions they should take to avoid the flu.

The West Bengal Government decided to open more swine flu testing centres in Kolkata at the city’s School of Tropical Medicine and the North Bengal Medical College in Darjeeling district.

Ipsita Biswas
Msc.Media || PG:1