Rainy season has just began and its time for swine flu to show up again in 2016 .
Maharashtra has seen 6,096 swine flu cases and 592 deaths till Thursday in 2015. This is the highest so far in the state.
Public health department officials say that the numbers may climb in case of an extended monsoon and low October heat.
Thirty-eight persons have died of swine flu in Mumbai since the beginning of 2015. In August alone, 344 cases of H1N1 and 11 deaths have been recorded in the city. Also, a 13-year-old boy from Govandi died of dengue shock syndrome on August 13, stated the report.
Fifty three 53 persons have died of swine flu in Mumbai from January 1 to Thursday, the second highest in Maharashtra after Nagpur city (70).
According to the state health department, 2010 saw 6,118 swine flu cases and 669 fatalities. The first swine flu death in India—a 14-year-old girl—was recorded in Pune in 2009.
This year, the highest toll is reported from Nagpur city (70), Mumbai (53), Pune city (49), Nashik (45), Pune rural (40) and Thane (32). A total of 39 patients are on ventilator support, including nine from Mumbai, 13 in Pune and 11 in Nashik. The deaths also include 33 patients from outside Maharashtra.
In contrast, just 42 positive cases and six deaths were reported in 2011. In 2012, there were 1,560 cases and 135 fatalities. In 2013, though the number of patients testing positive for the virus fell to 643, deaths rose marginally to 149. Last year, 43 deaths and 115 cases were reported.
“There were unseasonal showers in February and March, leading to a fall in temperatures and creating conditions conducive for the flare-up of the disease,” said a senior state health department official, adding that patients from neighbouring states also came to cities like Nagpur for treatment.
“August and September see high number of swine flu cases. In case of heavy rains in September, and if the October heat does not set in intensely, we are at risk. However, August has not seen any massive number of swine flu cases so far,” the official added.
Swine flu is a viral disease caused by the H1N1 virus. Its symptoms include fever, cough, body ache, loose motion and general weakness.
“There is less field work, supervision and surveillance by the BMC,” admitted an epidemiologist who has done a long stint with the civic body, adding that the public health system also needed to step up information, education and communication (IEC) activities. He pointed to how the strategy had succeeded with HIV.
“This (swine flu) is something that should be taken seriously,” said Dr Om Srivastava, consultant.
The state has also decided to vaccinate high-risk groups like doctors, health workers, people with hypertension, HIV, diabetes, obesity or children with asthma, lung problems and compromised immunity, pregnant women and also the general population. This, officials said, would lead a fall in the fatalities.
It is planning to supply vaccines to private hospitals and medical practitioners at a cheaper rate to let them inoculate people at a regulated price.
The Maharashtra Communicable Diseases Prevention and Control Technical Committee under former Maharashtra director general, health services (DGHS), Dr Subhash Salunkhe is looking at countering infectious diseases like swine flu and examining mutations in the virus.
10 ways to avoid swine flu.
1. Have five duly washed leaves of Tulsi (known as Basil in English; medicinal name Ocimum sanctum) everyday in the morning. Tulsi has a large number of therapeutic properties. It keeps throat and lungs clear and helps in infections by way of strengthening your immunity.
2. Giloi (medicinal name Tinospora cordifolia) is a commonly available plant in many areas. Take a one-foot long branch of giloi, add five to six leaves of Tulsi and boil in water for 15-20 minutes or long enough to allow the water to extract its properties. Add black pepper and sendha (salt used during religious fasts), rock or black salt, or Misri (crystalised sugar like lumps to make it sweet) according to taste. Let it cool a bit and drink this kadha (concoction) while still warm. It will work wonders for your immunity. If giloi plant is not available, get processed giloi powder from Hamdard or others, and concoct a similar drink once a day.
3. A small piece of camphor (kapoor) approximately the size of a tablet should be taken once or twice a month. It can be swallowed with water by adults while children can take it along with mashed potatoes or banana because they will find it difficult to have it without any aides. Please remember camphor is not to be taken everyday, but only once each season, or once a month.
4. Those who can take garlic, must have two pods of raw garlic first thing in the morning. To be swallowed daily with lukewarm water. Garlic too strengthens immunity like the earlier measures mentioned.
5. Those not allergic to milk, must take a glass of hot or lukewarm milk every night with a small measure of haldi (turmeric).
6. Aloe vera (gwarpatha) too is a commonly available plant. Its thick and long, cactus-like leaves have an odourless gel. A teaspoon gel taken with water daily can work wonders for not only your skin and joint pains, but also boost immunity.
7. Take homeopathic medicines — Pyrogenium 200 and Inflenzium 200 in particular — five tablets three times a day, or two-three drops three times a day. While these are not specifically targeted at H1N1 either, these work well as preventive against common flu virus.
8. Do Pranayam daily (preferably under guidance if you are already not initiated into it) and go for morning jog/walk regularly to keep your throat and lungs in good condition and body in fine fettle. Even in small measures, it will work wonders for your body's resistance against all such diseases which attack the nose, throat and lungs, besides keeping you fit.
9. Have citrus fruits, particularly Vitamin C rich Amla (Indian gooseberry) juice. Since fresh Amla is not yet available in the MARKET (not for another three to four months), it is not a bad idea to buy packaged Amla juice which is commonly available nowadays.
10. Last but not the least, wash your hands frequently every day with soap and warm water for 15-20 seconds; especially before meals, or each time after touching a surface that you suspect could be contaminated with flu virus such as a door handle or a knob/handle, especially if you have returned from a public place or used public transport. Alcohol-based hand cleaners should be kept handy at all times and used until you can get soap and warm water.
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