Bangalore: H1N1 Haunts State Again as 3 Dead, 71 Test Positive
Bangalore, Apr 6 (DHNS): The ghost of Influenza A (H1N1) which spooked the State three years ago has returned to haunt it again.
The State Health and Family Welfare Department has said that the disease has killed three persons since January 2012.
A 45-year-old man from Chikaballapur and two women, one 43-year-old and another 22-year-old from Bangalore, have succumbed to the virus after being admitted to private hospitals at a late stage. The cause for death was mainly attributed to ARDS (acute respiratory distress syndrome).
Besides, a 38-year-old man from Ananthapur in Andhra Pradesh who was admitted at the Columbia Asia Hospital died of H1N1 recently, but the health department is not counting it as a H1N1 death. “We are yet to receive ‘death case sheet summary’ from the hospital, and until we receive the reports, the death will not be considered,” Dr Cheluvaraj, director of health and family welfare said.
Of the 475 suspected swab samples of patients sent to various laboratories, nearly 71 cases have tested positive with H1N1 virus in the last three months, Dr Cheluvaraj said, adding that there was a “slight” increase in the number of positive cases lately. There could be many reasons for a sudden spike in the number of cases, said Dr V Ravi, professor and Head of Department of Neurovirology at NIMHANS.
No evidence
According to him, there could be a minor mutation in the virus strain, described by scientists as “slight shift and drift”. However, there is no evidence till date to prove that H1N1 virus has mutated.
“We are in the process of conducting a procedure to know if the virus has mutated, we have isolated the virus already which will be followed by a long procedure of sequencing. The result is expected by the end of April,” he added.
Dr Ravi said Mexico witnessed a steep climb in the number of positive cases in December 2011, which continued till February 2012. Reports spoke of an age shift in the positive cases wherein the virus targeted the aged and the children. Pune and Mumbai too had reported positive cases recently, he added.
Health department officials seem to have learnt the lessons from the previous pandemic in 2009. High risk groups, mainly the health workers from doctors to ASHA workers in the State, have been immunised. “However, it is also true that influenza immunisation is short-lived,” Dr Cheluvaraj said.
Virus redux
* H1N1 pandemic infections identified in 2009 across the globe
* In Karnataka, the first case was reported in June, 2009 in Bangalore
* Tamiflu is the antiviral drug administered to patients with suspected symptoms
* Since January 2012, there have been 71 confirmed positive cases of Influenza A (H1N1) and three deaths reported
* Till date, including reports of last three months, 24,630 samples have been, 4,530 cases tested positive and 274 deaths reported