Kolhapur swine flu: One more dies, 171 infected

The death toll of people dying because of H1N1 infection rose to 20 late on Sunday evening. The 32-year-old man from Kolhapur died of swine flu at a local hospital. The disease that has been gripped the nation since January seems to be winning despite all the attempts government officials are making.

The man Sunil Jitre, first showed symptoms on April 10^thwith complains of fever, muscle pain and blood stained sputum. He did not seek medical treatment at the time and developed breathlessness on 15^th April after which he was admitted to Sahyadri Hospital in Kothrud. Sunil's condition worsened by April 17^thand he was subsequently put on a ventilator. A throat swab was sent to the National Institute of Virology on April 18^thand subsequent tests revealed that he was suffering from Swine flu. It was also found that his immune system was compromised because he was also suffering from valvular heart disease for the past nine months.

As per official reports three more patients are in critical condition and all have been put on ventilator support. The city has been the epicenter of the disease and has reported a total of 171 cases so far.

According to doctors, the reason for such a drastic increase in the number of patients suffering from swine flu is the hot and humid weather coupled with patients self medicating themselves rather than seeking medical attention. Self medication leads to a drastic drop in the patient's immunity levels leading to an infection. They also said that the first 48 hours are crucial to stop the virus from spreading, but also made it amply clear that if treatment is sought after that period the therapy might still work.