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Written By: Editorial Team | Published : March 23, 2013 1:14 PM IST
Civic health authorities in Pune have stepped up screening measures after the spurt in swine flu cases in the city. There have been seven fatalities since January.
A couple of days ago the H1N1 virus in the city claimed a five-month-old baby taking the death toll in the last three months to seven. Half a dozen people among the 20 people currently being treated for the infection in different hospitals are on ventilator support.
According to S T Pardeshi, the Acting Chief Medical Officer of Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), swine flu has become an endemic in Pune and the hospitals have been advised to focus on the elderly with underlying medical conditions and new-borns who are more susceptible to the virus
As per PMC records, the death of the five-month-old baby whose throat swabs tested positive for swine flu on March 20 is the first under the paediatric age category since January. The increase in swine flu cases has been attributed by the health officials to a widely fluctuating and inconsistent climate and temperatures. At present the region is experiencing hotter days and colder nights.
Health officials have advised standard precautionary measures like regular washing of hands with soap, water and alcohol based disinfectants and covering nose and mouth with a tissue while coughing and sneezing to prevent active transmission of the virus. Since January this year 19 casualties from swine flu infection have so far been reported from Maharashtra. The country's first swine flu casualty was reported from Pune in 2009.
Pardeshi said the civic authorities had not received any advisory that the virus had undergone a mutation. He maintained that with satisfactory results the mainline treatment for the infection continues to be Tamiflu tablets.
What is the swine flu virus?
Swine flu is caused due to a zoonotic disease which originally was transmitted from pigs to humans and now spreads from one human to another. 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:
Also read: Swine flu: All you need to know
Don t know the symptoms of swine flu? Check out our symptom search to know more about the H1N1 symptoms
