Delhi records third highest swine flu cases in country, government issues advisory

With the numbers going up, the Delhi government put out an advisory with Dos and Don’ts on last Friday. However, experts in the Union health ministry called it a focal outbreak and said there was nothing “major to worry about”.

Delhi has reported 168 cases of swine flu this year, the third highest number reported in the country after Rajasthan and Gujarat, government data shows. However, nobody has died of the disease in the national capital.

Though Delhi has recorded the third highest cases of H1N1 influenza in the country this year, nobody has died of the disease in the national capital. (HT File Photo)

Rajasthan is the worst affected with 31 of the 49 deaths due to the viral infection reported from the state so far this year. It is followed by Gujarat, where 210 cases of Influenza (A), H1N1, also known as swine flu, have been reported.

So far, 1,694 swine flu cases have been reported across the country with Rajasthan alone accounting for 789 of them, the data shows.

With the numbers going up, the Delhi government put out an advisory with Dos and Don’ts on last Friday. However, experts in the Union health ministry called it a focal outbreak and said there was nothing “major to worry about”.

“There has been a marked increase in the number of flu patients coming in to our hospital over the last two weeks. In fact, some were complicated cases of swine flu which had to be admitted and put on ventilator support,” said Dr Suranjit Chatterjee, senior consultant of internal medicine at Indraprastha Apollo hospital.

Children under the age of five, people over the age of 60, pregnant women, and those who are immune-compromised — because of certain disease medications are at risk , city doctors said.

“It is being treated as your regular or seasonal influenza as people have developed immunity against the infection. There is no major reason to worry even if there are a few localised outbreaks,” said a senior official, requesting anonymity.

“It is a self-limiting disease, requiring symptomatic treatment mostly,” he said.

High levels of pollution combined with the changing temperatures have also led to further aggravation of the problem, health experts said.

“Any kind of flu, including swine flu, is self limiting meaning it goes away on its own after some time. But, high levels of pollution are aggravating the respiratory symptoms and it is taking longer to heal,” said Dr Rommel Tickoo, senior consultant of internal medicine at Max super speciality hospital, Saket.