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Pune officials hold meeting over swine flu deaths

A high-level meeting of state health officials was convened in Mumbai on Saturday afternoon to assess the swine flu situation in the state in the wake of four deaths reported in Pune.

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A high-level meeting of state health officials was convened in Mumbai on Saturday afternoon to assess the swine flu situation in the state in the wake of four deaths reported in Pune.

The meeting that started at 11 am at Mantralaya was headed by JK Banthia, additional chief secretary and attended by officials from Directorate of Health Services, Directorate of Medical Education and Research, premier research institutes like Pune’s National Institute of Virology and Mumbai’s Haffkine Institute.

While senior officials reviewed preparedness in case of pandemic like situation, it was decided to rope in private hospitals to handle H1N1 cases.

“The same private hospitals that helped handle H1N1 pandemic in 2009 would be notified to be prepared with isolation beds for H1N1 patients. An important thing that people should know is that of four patients who died, three had other co-morbid conditions like cancer, diabetes, hypertension and Down’s Syndrome. Hence there is no need to create a scare or panic,’’ said Banthia.

Most deliberations centered on trying to understand reasons for spurt in H1N1 positive cases.

While it was confirmed by scientists at the outset that no mutation had been reported in the H1N1 virus, experts said the four deaths and rising number of cases should be termed sporadic.

“Experts said that two major reasons could be favourable to spread of swine flu infection. One reason is that the last outbreak was reported more than one-and-a- half-years ago and the herd immunity that people developed after that period is now on the decline.

“Hence, people with compromised immunity due to pre-existing morbidities like diabetes, hypertension, cardiac illness, cancer etc are more susceptible,’’ said Dr Pradeep Awate, state surveillance officer.

The other reason that experts pointed out for resurgence of H1N1 cases could be erratic temperatures.

“The sudden cold wave in February following by the transition period that we are going through and difference in temperatures are favourable conditions for influenza infections like swine flu,’’ said Awate.

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