Swine flu positive cases from among the samples sent for test increased more than three times this year in Rajasthan compared to last year, said a state government report submitted to the high court on Thursday.
Positivity rate refers to number of cases testing positive out of the total samples sent for test.
H1N1 virus causes what is commonly called swine flu. A virus originating from swine, H1N1 was first detected among people in Mexico in 2009. It spread across the world through travellers. The virus now transmits from human to human.
Last year, 9.2% of suspected patients were found to be swine flu positive; this year the cases reached 33.9%. Of the 2879 patients confirmed to have swine flu this year, 224 died, the report said.
The Rajasthan high court, taking note of the rise in swine flu cases, ordered the state government recently to submit a status report. Additional advocate general (AAG) Rajesh Panwar submitted the report.
Referring to a report of the National Institute of Virology, Pune, the government said the Michigan H1N1 strain was behind swine flu cases this year. So far, since the 2009 pandemic, the California strain has been doing the rounds in India. The new strain is sensitive to oseltamivir drug, sold under the brand name Tamiflu.
{{/usCountry}}Referring to a report of the National Institute of Virology, Pune, the government said the Michigan H1N1 strain was behind swine flu cases this year. So far, since the 2009 pandemic, the California strain has been doing the rounds in India. The new strain is sensitive to oseltamivir drug, sold under the brand name Tamiflu.
{{/usCountry}}The government report said 60% of swine flu cases have been reported from urban areas and 40% from rural places. Patients found to be swine flu positive were aged between 16 and 50 years. Of the 224 deaths in the state, Jaipur reported 21 and Kota 22.
Panwar told the court that the government set up 3033 screening centres and influenza OPD clinics at primary health centres to detect swine flu early.
The symptoms of mild influenza are fever, cough, sore throat, headache, muscle pain, diarrhoea and/or vomiting. The symptoms of the severe ailment include shortness of breath, pneumonia, encephalitis and severe dehydration.
Panwar said 1580 isolation and 214 ICU beds have been reserved for the treatment of swine flu patients; 198 ventilators was provided for serious patients.
A division bench of justice Govind Mathur and justice Vinit Kumar Mathur ordered the government to take more steps to control swine flu.
The court told the government to enhance medical facilities in rural areas, where the condition was worse. The court fixed October 13 as the next date of hearing.