Early arrival of swine flu worrisome: Docs

Manmeet Singh Gill

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, August 14

Medical experts feel it could be a new strain of swine flu virus, as is evident from the early onset of the disease.

Swine flu cases were usually reported during the winter months of November, December and January.

This year, city hospitals have already started receiving suspected cases. Though no confirmed case of the disease has been reported in the city, many cases have been reported from other districts. The experts had feared the onset of a new strain in 2015, too, when at least 11 persons had died after exhibiting symptoms of swine flu.

Out of the 11 casualties, at least four patients had tested positive for the H1 virus, whereas they had tested negative for the N1 virus.

As all of them did not fit in the category of swine flu, according to the government, their causes of death were mentioned as multi-organ failure, severe infection and pneumonia. According to the government guidelines, a patient can officially be declared a swine flu-positive case only if he tests positive for both H1 and N1.

A faculty member of Government Medical College, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “Viruses evolve, so it could be possible that it is a new strain.”

He said symptoms and subsequent treatment largely remain the same, but figures of patients remained suppressed.

The district epidemiologist, Dr Madan Mohan, said swine flu (H1N1) was a strain of the influenza family of viruses. This virus is contagious and is believed to spread from pigs to humans and from humans to humans.

“The common mechanism of its spread is through droplets from cough and sneezes of the infected person. Also, touching a surface or a body part contaminated by the virus and then touching one’s nose, mouth or eyes can cause infection,” he said. Dr Madan Mohan stated that the suspected patients reported so far had visited out of state in recently.

He said a meeting with the IMA members to deal with the situation was also held last evening.