Bengal reports first swine flu case after three years

Experts in Kolkata have confirmed on Thursday that West Bengal has reported its first swine flu case after a gap of three years. The last case of swine flu in West Bengal was reported in 2009.

One sample has tested positive so far. The health department has already issued circulars and notices to various hospitals across districts, Sekhar Chakrabarti, director of National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases, told IANS.

Microbiologist Nemai Bhattacharya, from School of Tropical Medicine, said: After constant monitoring and surveillance for a month or so, we can arrive at any definite conclusion regarding the spread and containment (of the infection).

What is the swine flu virus?

Swine flu, also known as 2009 H1N1 type A influenza, is a human disease. People get the disease from other people, not from pigs. The disease got stuck with the name swine flu because it originally jumped from pigs to humans. The symptoms of swine flu are very similar to regular influenza and include fever, headaches, chills, diarrhoea, coughing and sneezing. One can prevent infection by maintaining basic hygiene and wearing a proper surgical mask during flu season. The number of cases shoots up during the summers and monsoon seasons. There are various vaccines available to combat the disease and antiviral treatments for prevention as well. One should however only use these medicines under a doctor s supervision as indiscriminate use might result in susceptibility to the virus.

Read: Why the swine flu situation in India is bad

Prevention

Swine flu isn t a disease that you can catch from pigs. It is in fact, a human virus that spreads from one human to another. The virus is extremely contagious. Here are some swine flu prevention tips:

• It can spread through coughing and sneezing so always cover your face while doing so. And make sure people around you in office or home also follow this.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth too often
• Maintain a high level of personal hygiene. Always wash your hands before or after eating and particularly after returning from a public place.
• Sometimes virus can spread through droplets that have remained on surfaces of things like laptops, phones so avoid using someone else s items.
• Avoid public places, unhygienic conditions, etc.
• If your city/area is swine-flu endemic, always wear a standard swine flu mask in public places (the H-95 mask which is worn by nurses and doctors while collecting samples from swine flu victims). Normal surgical masks which sell like hot cakes during swine flu season might not give enough protection.
• If you feel sick and look like you are developing a cold or fever, stay at home and take enough rest. Rest has also been shown to increase interferons which help our immunity to fight the virus better. Keeping away from others also prevents spread of the infection.

Also read: Swine flu: All you need to know

To know more about the symptoms of swine flu, click here.

With inputs from IANS