PMC reports 79 cases of swine flu in city from Jan to Aug

PUNE The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has reported an increase in the number of swine flu cases this year, as compared to last year

PUNE The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has reported an increase in the number of swine flu cases this year, as compared to last year.

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The civic body reported 79 cases of the H1N1 (swine flu) virus as of August 18, 2021.

Last year the city recorded 10 cases of swine flu, which may have been due to the Covid-19 pandemic affecting the reportage of H1N1 cases.

In 2009, when the city saw its first death due to the infection, Pune reported a total of 144 swine flu deaths that year, the highest in the country at the time.

As per PMC data, a total of 306 people were screened after reporting symptoms, which are similar to flu and Covid-19.

A total of 287 people were given Tamiflu and their swab samples were sent for testing. Of these, 79 were positive. None are active cases or admitted to hospital. No death due to the infection has been reported.

Dr Sanjeev Wavare, PMC assistant health officer and in-charge of the PMC’s monsoon-related disease department, said, “Last year when the Covid-19 pandemic struck we could report only 10 cases in March and after that, the city did not report any swine flu cases. This was because the entire health machinery was involved in Covid-19 management and surveillance.”

Dr Wavare added: “The same efforts taken for Covid-19 can be applied to control swine flu as well and we are doing the same.”

The swine flu infection, primarily found in pigs, has symptoms that include fever, lethargy, sneezing, coughing, difficulty in breathing and a decreased appetite.