Swine flu takes shape of seasonal flu, will last another 2-3 months, says expert - Hindustan Times
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Swine flu takes shape of seasonal flu, will last another 2-3 months, says expert

Hindustan Times | By
Oct 17, 2017 09:27 PM IST

Total 2,593 cases of dengue and three deaths due to the disease were reported in the state from January 1 till date this year

H1N1 influenza (swine flu) has now become a seasonal influenza and there will be two waves of it that will last for two to three months, said Dr Raman Sharma, a senior professor in medicine department at the Sawai Man Singh Medical College in Jaipur.

Doctors say earlier swine flu was affecting people only during winters, but now it is affecting even in summers.(HT File/Sonu Mehta)
Doctors say earlier swine flu was affecting people only during winters, but now it is affecting even in summers.(HT File/Sonu Mehta)

He said cases of swine flu have gone down with one or two patients coming to the hospital every day. Earlier, swine flu was affecting people only during winters, but now it is affecting even in summers, he added.

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From January 1 to October 16 this year, swab samples were collected from 9,463 suspected swine flu patients. While 3,012 patients tested positive for the disease, 231 died. The main affected districts were Jaipur, Kota, Udaipur, Chittorgarh and Ajmer.

“There will be minor change in the strain of H1N1 virus in every two to three years, but the medicine oseltamivir (tamiflu) is quite effective even with change in strain from California to Michigan,” said Dr Sharma.

Similarly, he said, dengue occurs after rains, but the main problem is that people do not change the water in coolers and allow water stagnation nearby their houses. “People should frequently clean and change water in coolers. Along with, they should not allow water to accumulate near their residences,” he added.

Total 2,593 cases of dengue and three deaths due to the disease were reported in the state from January 1 till date this year. Maximum 882 cases were reported from Kota, 687 from Jaipur, 118 from Alwar, 84 from Bharatpur, 99 from Baran, 75 from Sikar and 73 from Jodhpur. Besides, 977 cases of chikungunya were reported with maximum 445 cases from Jaipur, 211 from Jodhpur, 55 from Bharatpur and 41 from Alwar and there was no death due to the disease. Similarly, 7,719 malaria cases were reported from the state with maximum 836 cases from Bharatpur, 824 from Udaipur, 672 from Barmer, 339 from Baran, 309 each from Alwar and Rajsamand.

Dr Sharma said scrub typhus is a rural disease and most cases are reported during September and October. The disease is caused by mites, which bite people in fields and mostly while defecating in the open near shrubs and bushes. From January 1 to October 16, 2017, 707 cases of scrub typhus were reported in the state including 14 deaths. The scrub typhus cases have been reported from Alwar, Bharatpur, Dausa, Udaipur, Rajsamand and Chittorgarh districts.

While talking about the swine flu cases, Dr VK Mathur, director, Public Health, said the health department is emphasising on screening of the patients and there is no shortage of medicine. “Medicines for malaria, dengue and chikungunya are also available and the department is focussing on anti-larvae and fogging activities,” he said.

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