Pune

The insidious virus has created a scare in where 4 confirmed swine flu deaths have been reported during the last 36 hours.

Marathwada region reels
The Marathwada region is one of the five regions in Maharashtra state of India. The region comprises eight districts of Jalna, Aurangabad, Parbhani, Hingoli, Nanded, Latur, Osmanabad and Beed.

Of the latest deaths, 1 death was reported from Aurangabad while 3 deaths were reported from Latur. The death in Aurgangabad occurred at the government medical college and hospital (GMCH).

"There is a significant rise in number of people suffering from the infection this year compared to last year, when the infection rate was between 15 and 25 percent. Precaution is the key to ward off the infection," said A C Mishra, director, NIV.

”We, at the NIV, have been receiving over 200 throat swab samples from all over the state every day. Many of them come from far-flung areas which remained unscathed last year. There is an increase in cases as well as an increase in the infection rate," he said.

Doubts over the effectiveness of the vaccine, the mode of administering it, its possible side-effects, and even automatic immunity gained from working with patients so far are some of the several reasons due to which the paramedical staff refuse to take the vaccination.