H1N1 spurt in Pune revives flu fears
 Mumbai:
With the death of a 23-year-old girl over the weekend and two
schools being shut in Pune on Monday, swine flu fears have
returned. Bhagwat Nilima Maruti, a resident of Dutta Nagar, Pune,
succumbed to the H1N1 virus on Saturday and two schools were
shut down after many students tested positive for the virus. “With the total number of people found positive in Pune being 81 in a week, and a death also occurring, we are definitely seeing a spurt of swine flu in Pune,’’ said a health department official in Pune. Doctors in Mumbai are worried. Dr Altaf Patel, consulting physician, Jaslok Hospital, said, “Influenza cases go up when there is a swing between day and night temperatures, as is happening now. Moreover, with the spurt of H1N1 cases in Pune, and many Puneites travelling to Mumbai, it may not be long before a spurt is seen here too.’’ Dr Sujeet Rajan, chest specialist, Bombay Hospital, said he has seen a spurt in flu cases. “There has been a rise in cases coming to me. Also, we’ve had three admissions in the last week due to flu.’’ But it is not known if H1N1 led to this spurt. “But there is no denying that the number of anti-flu prescriptions has risen,’’ he added. Patel said the H1N1 virus could have mutated. “It would be advisable for those who fall in the higher-risk groups—elderly, pregnant women, infants, diabetics, hypertension patients, those with chronic disease, doctors and para-medical staff—to take flu vaccines and extra care,’’ he advised. Incidentally, the Haffkine Institute, the sole governmental H1N1 testing centre in the city, has not seen an increase in the number of samples being sent for testing. “On an average, we get 30 samples a day for swine flu testing, of which one or two turn out to be positive. The numbers have not increased yet,’’ said Dr Abhay Chowdhury, director, Haffkine. Meanwhile, the BMC claimed it is ready for any eventuality. “We cannot say if the spurt will come to our city soon. But our institutions, including hospitals and testing centres, are on standby,’’ said BMC additional commissioner Manisha Mhaiskar. —Inputs from Malathy Iyer SWINE FLU GUIDE Main symptoms Fever | Cough | Sore throat | Runny or stuffy nose | Breathing difficulty Other symptoms Body ache | Headache | Fatigue | Chills | Diarrhoea | Vomiting | Blood in sputum Higher-risk groups People with certain chronic conditions | Adults 65 years or older | Children younger than 5 | Pregnant women Dos Cover mouth and nose with kerchief/tissue when you cough or sneeze | Wash hands often with soap and water or use alcohol-based hand gel | Sleep well | Drink plenty of water | Eat nutritious food Don’ts Avoid touching eyes, nose or mouth | Avoid crowded places | Stay over arm’s length away from affected people | Don’t spit in public | Don’t do self-medication | Try not to shake hands or hug |