Swine flu cases fall, but fatalities rise

Umesh Isalkar | TNN
 

Pune: The mortality rate in Maharashtra due to the H1N1 virus vis-a-vis the number of severely positive cases has seen a steady increase of more than 1% every month over the last three months.
    While 55 people died of the flu in August even as 1,747 positive cases were reported that month, the fatalities jumped to 75 in September with the number of positive cases falling to 1,369. This month, till date, 66 deaths were reported while the number of positive cases dwindled to 844. “The trend is disturbing as the number of positive cases are decreasing but mortality rate is on the rise,” Pandit Chavan, deputy director of the state health services told TOI on Wednesday.
    Chavan said the rise in the number of deaths could be largely attributed to the fact that the flu has entered newer regions of the state and is getting entrenched in rural areas. Pradeep Awate, medical officer (epidemics) of the state health services confirmed this. “Initially, the spread of the contagion was among urbanites. Now, however, it has started taking root in the rural parts of the state,” he said. While positive cases in the state recorded from July till now is 4,144, the death toll has reached 195. Ashok Mehta, joint director of the state health services, said that the flu has spread to over 27 districts in Maharashtra.
    In mid-August, the health authorities decided to test throat swabs of only severely-ill patients. An average of 60 such swabs are being sent daily to the National Institute of Virology here. NIV deputy director Mandeep Chadha said the rate of lab-confirmed positive cases has reduced from 22% to 15%.
Lung tests differ
    Necropsy (an analysis of fluids taken from the dead) in Sassoon Hospital in Pune showed the effect of H1N1 on lungs of patients who died in August-September was different from those who died in October. “In August-September patients, we found RBCs, WBCs and fluid in the victim’s lungs, but later patients had the protein hyaline that led to thickening of lung walls,’’ said Dr Pravin Shingare of the Department of Medical Education and Research. These findings will be presented to the National Institute of Virology next week for more research.