Six swine flu cases reported in first week of 2018, hospitals on alert

The recent IDSP, Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme, report by the Ministry of Health revealed six new cases of Swine Flu in the first week of 2018. The patients, four of whom are Delhi residents and two from neighboring areas, are being treated in Delhi hospitals which has led the Delhi government to issue an advisory on the prevention of swine flu. The new cases appeared after no cases reported in the last three months.

The report also reveals 2,835 cases and 12 deaths due to H1N1 fever in 2017 in the Capital, whereas no deaths reported in 2018, so far.

The newly revealed cases have caused new isolation wards being made at several hospitals in Delhi, whereas some hospitals are still using their swine flu wards as Dengue/Chikungunya wards.

There was a surge in swine flu cases between July and September last year, where over 800 cases were seen in a span of three months, but the moisture content in the air has led to an increase in the cases again.

"We are prepared for the worse. All medicines, IVs are in stock, and isolation wards and ICUs are available too," said Dr V K Tiwari, Medical Superintendent, Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital.

After a bout of swine flu in August 2017, it was confirmed by a Health Ministry report that the cases had increased 14 folds in 2017 as compared to 2016, as there were 2,798 cases in Delhi last year until October 1, while in 2016 this number was only 193. The Ministry had released another report in mid-October confirming that no cases were reported in the last two weeks.

The swine flu cases continue to take lives across the country as ten deaths have been reported in the first week of 2018 and 220 reported cases.

However, Dr Soumya Swaminathan, Director General, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), had earlier confirmed that the H1N1 swine flu virus has mutated and the disease is not seasonal anymore. The new strain, called Michigan, was discovered in India earlier this year. The California strain of the disease has existed since 2009.

Initially recorded in 2009 in Mexico, the disease was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2010. India had already witnessed 42,592 cases and 3,000 deaths by the end of 2010, as recorded. The death toll has gone up to 4,000 now.

NATION-WIDE

The swine flu cases continue to take lives across the country as ten deaths have been reported in the first week of 2018 across India and 220 reported cases.