Over 1300 test positive for H1N1 last week

According to health officials, with 79 falling prey to the influenza in the past one week and 1,335 fresh infections surfacing across the nation, there is no way the guard can be lowered as the threat from the virus still persists.

“Till date, samples from 163,289 persons have been tested for Influenza A H1N1 in government laboratories and a few private laboratories across the country and 38,730 (23.7 percent) of them have been found positive,” an official statement from the health ministry said.

H1N1 status across the nation
Maharashtra was the worst hit accounting for 40 casualties, the highest number of deaths in the second wave of the pandemic.

The state also saw a surge in infections of swine flu for more than a month with the number touching 411 this week.

The second highest fatalities were from Gujarat which confirmed 42 cases and 12 deaths in a week.

Close on the heels came Karnataka which reported 291 cases and eight deaths, followed by Delhi which accounted for 257 infections and five deaths.

The southern states of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu also saw a spate of new cases with the two states reporting 103 and 72 infections respectively.

However, the situation in Kerala, which had witnessed the maximum number of cases in the beginning of the season of the epidemic, has stabilized with the state reporting only nine cases in the week gone by.

Situation stable but need for caution
With a view to avert panic, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare stressed that the H1N1 virus attack was under control.

Though the government was doing its best in providing treatment to the patients in government hospitals, it was urging the public to take essential measures to help prevent the virus from spreading.

According to health experts, though the severity of H1N1 has waned, people with ailments such as asthma, diabetes, lung disease and pregnancy need to be alert.

Anyone depicting flu symptoms should immediately seek medical intervention, especially the elderly and children younger than five years of age, who are the most vulnerable.

Meanwhile, the country is prepared to tackle the deadly virus with its nasal spray and injectable vaccine.

The health ministry official stated, “Precaution is needed and the ministry is doing its best to make the people aware about the methods to avoid swine flu.

“We have two indigenous vaccines. In addition to that, ads focusing on target group of the pregnant women and old or ailing persons are also being aired.”