Rajasthan is second after Maharashtra in deaths due to swine flu

Swine flu is continuously posing a challenge in front of state health department in Rajasthan as hospitals in the state continue to register new cases and deaths due to Influenza H1N1 virus. In Sikar, a red alert has been issued by health department on Saturday after two people tested positive in Fatehpur and Shrimadhopur while in Jodhpur, more than 25 positive cases and three deaths due to the disease have been reported within a week.

With the fresh reported deaths, Rajasthan has become the number two state after Maharashtra in number of deaths due to swine flu in the country. It is worth mentioning here that in October when Jaipur was witnessing India’s biggest outbreak of Zika Virus Disease (ZVD), state had registered highest cases in the country of swine flu. This year, so far, more than 2,300 patients have been tested positive for swine flu with more than 10% mortality rate, which is highest number of swine flu deaths in the country after Maharashtra.

As per health department’s daily monitoring, a total of 2,315 cases of swine flu have been reported in Rajasthan from January 1 to December 28 this year. During the period, 218 people have lost their lives due to the disease. According to Integrated Diseases Surveillance Program (IDSP) of National Center for Disease Control (NCDC), in Maharashtra, total 2,554 people have been tested positive for swine flu and Maharashtra recorded 428 deaths, more than number of deaths occurred in Rajasthan. 

In Rajasthan, Jaipur is the worst effected with the virus H1N1 where 924 people have been found swine flu positive and 38 people have died of the disease till December 28, this year. In 4 districts of Kota division, the diseases has claimed 68 lives so far during this year. In Jaipur division 54 deaths have been reported. 44 deaths have been occurred in Jodhpur division while Ajmer division has recorded 34 deaths due to Swine Flu from Jan 1, 2018.

It is worth mentioning here that H1N1 virus in the state has changed its strain called the Michigan strain like Maharashtra. Prior to this, the strain that has been existing in India was California.

As per figures, January and February have always been challenging month for health department while combating swine flu. This year, in January 2018, total 705 people were tested positive for swine flu while 53 deaths occurred. For the next month of February the figure was 383 positive cases and 43 deaths.

Dr Raghu Sharma, newly appointed health minister, has already instructed health officials to focus on prevention and control measures for swine flu. During the very first meeting after taking the charge of health department, Dr Sharma instructed official to prepare work-plan for involvement of students and Panchayati Raj Institutions in prevention and control measures.