DNA Micro Edit | Swine Flu: 2 deaths but no reason to panic yet

The swine flu death toll in Maharashtra stands at 198, while Mumbai has witnessed two deaths — one in April and another in May. While the first victim was a 16-month-old toddler from Worli, the second was a 72-year-old woman from Kurla — both from high-risk age groups. Pregnant woman, diabetics and those with a compromised immune systems are other high-risk categories vulnerable to the viral infection.

Since January, around 34 cases have been reported in Mumbai, and most infected individuals have some travel history to areas like Pune and Nashik that have been badly hit by swine flu. So far, Mumbai health officials maintain that there is no need to panic as the number of cases are not large enough to be a public health problem. However, they also concede that there is little they can do to stop the spread of swine flu since the disease is spread by droplet infection and its symptoms are similar to the common cold.

With five beds reserved in all civic hospitals for swine flu cases, and a stock of vaccinations, health officials say they are prepared to handle the existing cases. Mumbai though has requested the state officials for 1,000 more vaccine doses.

Being a contagious viral infection, it becomes important that the ones who are infected stay away from crowded public places. It is as much a responsibility of the individuals as it is for public health officials to ensure Mumbai does not see an outbreak of swine flu.