H1N1

H5 strains of Avian Influenza (H1N1), popularly called bird flu, have been confirmed in poultry samples from the state farm.

The samples were tested by High Security Animal Disease Laboratory (HSADL), Bhopal, and ERDDL, Kolkata. The last outbreak occurred in January 2010 in Khargram block of Murshidabad district in West Bengal.

This is perhaps the highest figure of casualties reported in one day in the country so far in 2010.

What is cause for concern is that while the national average of deaths is only 5.28 percent, that of Madhya Pradesh is a startling 38 percent.

Run-down on the cases in the state
The latest victim is 22-year-old Nupur Jain, who succumbed to the disease at People Hi Tech hospital in Bhopal on Saturday.

Nupur, who hailed from Vidisha district had tested positive for swine flu on September 2.

A survey of the popular chemist shops in the capital reveals that very few keep the H1N1 vaccines, while those who stock them are unable to sell more than 10 vaccines in one month.

The Union ministry of health and family welfare had provided about 19,000 free and imported vaccines for health-care providers at the city hospitals. However, nearly 40 percent of them remain unused.