India Swine Flu (A/H1N1) , May 3 +

[Kassy]

Three suspected cases of swine flu kept under quarantine in India

NEW DELHI, May 2 (KUNA) -- Barely a day after Indian government assured that not even a single case of swine flu was detected in the country, as many as three suspected cases of "H1N1 flu" have been admitted in a private hospital in New Delhi for quarantine.
While two flew in from Chicago, one landed in India from London.
Kept at an isolated ward in the hospital, all three are said to be suffering from cough, cold, fever and upper respiratory infection, said media reports.
While doctors at the Indira Gandhi International Airport sent Paramjit Kaur and Jagjivaan Singh, originally hailing from Fatehabad Sahib town in northern Indian state of Punjab to the hospital late on Friday night, one Ashwini was sent for quarantine facility on Saturday morning after he arrived in Delhi by the British airways flight from London.

Paramjit has been suffering with fever for the past five days while Jagjivaan has had fever, sore throat and upper respiratory diseases for past 12 days.
The two had also visited affected American states of Texas and Chicago, added the media reports.

Ashwini from London, however, did not report visit to affected states, but was found to have symptoms.
Meanwhile, India's Health Ministry sources have disclosed that since Friday afternoon, five people have been sent to RML for final screening on whether suspected passengers fit WHOs (World Health Organisation) definition of a suspected flu case. (end) py.ema KUNA 021319 May 09NNNN

http://www.kuna.net.kw/NewsAgenciesPublicSite/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=1994985&Language=en

[caonacl]

scary news from India. see link

http://thisbluemarble.com/showthread.php?p=107130#post107130

[CanadaSue]

Scary news? 47 degrees Cecius & a lot of pigs/goats/chickens die - some with a fever.

Keep it in spec, please.

[Samen]

Man with suspected swine flu admitted to Hyderabad hospital

First Published: 09:59 IST(3/5/2009)Last Updated: 10:02 IST(3/5/2009)


The saliva and blood samples of a 28-year-old man found with symptoms of swine flu after he arrived in Hyderabad from the US have been sent to the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) at New Delhi, officials said. He has been admitted to a hospital.
The man, whose identity has not been disclosed, arrived in Hyderabad on Saturday from San Francisco via Dubai. He was admitted to the Government General and Chest Hospital, the nodal centre to deal with flu cases.
The software professional was quarantined at the hospital immediately after he arrived at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, hospital sources said.
The second suspected case in less than a week was reported even as the first suspected case tested negative for influenza A (H1N1), better known as swine flu. Earlier, a 26-year-old man, who had landed at the airport from Texas Tuesday, was also found with suspected symptoms of swine flu.
The man from Texas refused to get himself admitted to hospital but authorities had advised him not to venture out of the house and had sent his samples to NICD.
In the latest case, the techie from San Francisco decided to get himself checked soon after landing at the airport on Saturday.
"He had a running nose for three days and when he heard that this is also one of the symptoms, he volunteered to undergo a check-up at the airport," said K. Subhakar of the H1N1 influenza nodal centre at the Chest Hospital.
The team of doctors at the airport advised him to get admitted to hospital and he agreed.
Doctors said though his vital signs were normal, he was kept in isolation and would remain so till the results of tests are available. His family members are also not being allowed to meet him.
Officials said another passenger, who arrived at Hyderabad airport from Mexico via New Delhi Saturday, met the doctors at the hospital out of his own concern though he had no visible symptoms. He was counselled and allowed to go home.
Authorities, meanwhile, continue to screen air passengers arriving here from international destinations, especially from swine flu affected countries. A team of doctors deployed at the airport screened about 2,500 such passengers who arrived by 15 flights on Saturday.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?sectionName=NLetter&id=a629557a-1552-4ae1-8aa6-021a924af06e&Headline=Man+with+suspected+swine+flu+admitted+to+ Hyderabad+hospital

[Mama Alanna]

"He had a running nose for three days and when he heard that this is also one of the symptoms, he volunteered to undergo a check-up at the airport,":re: When you have the flu, you KNOW that you have it. This guy probably has a common cold or an allergy.

[Kassy]

I merged all the India stuff.

No positives yet.

[Kassy]

Two more suspected swine flu cases

HYDERABAD: Two more persons, a 29-year-old passenger travelling from West Germany to Hyderabad and a 37-year-old self employed person, who came to Hyderabad from Canada on April 26, were admitted to the Government Chest Hospital, Erragadda, on Sunday with suspected symptoms of swine flu.

The 37-year-old, a Malakpet resident, volunteered and was admitted to the hospital on Sunday evening. The 29-year-old passenger travelling from West Germany to Hyderabad via New Delhi was admitted at 2 a.m. on Sunday with fever, cough, a running nose and body pains.

Typical symptoms

Since the past two days, the Malakpet resident had developed fever, sore throat and body pains, typical symptoms for both common and swine flu. He was directed by a local doctor to visit the Chest Hospital, authorities said. Doctors took up counselling of his family members and asked them not to venture out for a few days. Till then, a team of doctors from the hospital would make regular visits to their home at Malakpet.

“Within 10 days of coming to India from swine flu-affected countries, air travellers can develop flu like symptoms. Already the swab, serum, sputum and secretion samples of both have been collected and sent to the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD), New Delhi,” informed Professor of TB and Chest Diseases, Government General and Chest Hospital Dr. K. Subhakar.

Results negative

Meanwhile, the NICD has found no traces of swine flu virus in the swab samples of the passenger from San Francisco, who was admitted on Saturday. The negative results prompted authorities to discharge the passenger on Sunday.

With the admission two passengers, the total number of foreign travellers, all of them hailing from the capital, admitted in the special swine flu isolation ward have reached three. Earlier, a passenger from Texas and another from Mexico were counselled and allowed to go on the condition of taking a few precautions. According to the hospital doctors, the passenger from West Germany who is a frequent traveller visited Sweden recently, where till now there have been no positive reports of swine flu cases.

http://www.hindu.com/2009/05/04/stories/2009050450180100.htm

[Samen]

India Express Buzz (http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/default.aspx)
Monday, May 04, 2009 10:37 PM IST






India steps up flu surveillance as five new cases reported


IANS (http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/searchresult.aspx?AliasName=Xn%7CgV7N5sFE=)
First Published : 04 May 2009 10:17:57 PM IST
Last Updated : 04 May 2009 10:19:26 PM IST
NEW DELHI: India Monday intensified measures to tackle http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/images/trans.gifany possible swine flu case from entering the country by beefing surveillance at border road posts, as five more people arriving from abroad were quarantined with suspected flu symptoms.Addressing media persons here, Joint Secretary in the health ministry Vineet Chawdhry said five more people - all Indians - with suspected swine flu symptoms were being screened, including two in Kochi in Kerala. He said as of now, no confirmed case has been reported in India.Health authorities have so far collected 15 samples of suspected flu cases, of which 12 have been found negative."A total of 41,498 air passengers have been screened so far, and around 8,353 passengers were from affected countries. 172 doctors and 82 paramedics have been deployed to man 61 counters at 21 airports across the country," Chawdhry said.On the plan to intensify surveillance on border roads, he said: "We are planning to introduce screening on road checkposts in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. We have information that about 84 people from affected countries had come to India by road in the last one week. We are tracking them." But he declined to name the countries the people had come from or their identities."As of today, five people are under observation. None of them is foreigner. They are all Indians. While three of them have been admitted to Delhi government hospitals, two are in Kochi," the official said.Among the three kept in isolation ward in a Delhi hospital, one had come from Germany and two from the US."The samples of three passengers in Delhi have been sent to the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (New Delhi), and the test results are awaited while samples of Kochi passengers are awaited," Chawdhry said.He added that the two in Kochi had come from Dubai after visiting the US and Britain.The health ministry is conducting parallel tests at the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD), Delhi, and National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, on all samples."If the number of samples goes up, we will send samples to two other central government laboratories in Kolkata and Dibrugarh (in Assam) for tests," he said.Chawdhry also said that the government would be able to get one million capsules of the anti-viral drug Tamiflu by Tuesday from Hyderabad-based Hetero drugs.Eight million more doses would be made available in a week's time, he added.

http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=India+steps+up+flu+surveillance+a s+five+new+cases+reported&artid=o2tk5l2fo7c=

[Kassy]

H1N1 case confirmed in Hyderabad

HYDERABAD: The first case of swine flu in India was confirmed in Hyderabad by the director-general of health services in New Delhi.

The 23-year-old passenger from Dubai was suspected of having contracted the virus earlier this week and was referred to the government hospital. He was quarantined after his samples were tested positive of the H1N1 flu. The patient, whose condition is stable, is undergoing treatment in the hospital and is being administered with Oseltamivir, the drug used to cure the infection.

“Though swine flu is an air-borne disease, it does not spread if the affected are isolated for a period of ten days after contracting the infection,” said K Shubhankar, head of the Airport Health Organisation (APHO).

All passengers who travelled with the man on the flight are being tracked down. The man had reached Hyderabad from Dubai via Delhi on an Emirates flight on May 13. The office of the concerned airlines has been contacted to provide the list of passengers who travelled with him in close proximity. Information of such passengers would be provided to the WHO (World Health Organisation) and respective countries through the external affairs ministry.

The passengers are being advised to remain under home quarantine for a period of seven days and monitor themselves for symptoms like fever, cough and difficulty in breathing. Hyderabad has reported 11 cases of suspected swine flu so far and the World Health Organization (WHO) has said that some 7,500 people have been infected with the influenza strain that is a mixture of swine, bird and human viruses.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/H1N1-case-confirmed-in-Hyderabad/articleshow/4540921.cms

[impulse]

http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/print.aspx?artid=XUAWgm9Dbmg=

HYDERABAD: Two more suspected cases of swine flu have been detected in Hyderabad.
The two patients have been isolated in the Government General and Chest Hospital in Erragadda as a precaution.
``The two have mild sore throat, but no fever or other symptoms,’’ said Dr Subhakar, who is the coordinator of the H1N1 Nodal Centre that is coordinating the response to Swine Flu in Andhra Pradesh.
The two persons were copassengers of the one confirmed case, the 23-year-old male who arrived from America in Emirates flight EK-524 from Dubai.
One is a 39-year-old who works in America and the other is 28 and works in Dubai.
Throat swab samples of both the patients have been sent to the National Institute of Communicable Disease in New Delhi and the report is awaited.

[caonacl]

Man with suspected H1N1 symptoms refuses to be quarantined


COIMBATORE: A businessman from Mettupalayam, who returned from a trip to Malaysia with symptoms (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Chennai/Man-with-suspected-H1N1-symptoms-refuses-to-be-quarantined/articleshow/4562106.cms#) of H1N1 infection, refused to be quarantined and walked out of the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital on Thursday morning.

The 35-year-old-businessman, who arrived from Malaysia three days ago, suffered from severe respiratory infection and was treated at a private hospital in Coimbatore. However, the doctors at the private hospital suspected he showed the symptoms of H1N1 virus and alerted the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital.

The businessman went to the government hospital, but when the Resident Medical Officer decided to quarantine' him, he stubbornly refused and left. The anxious medical officer informed the public health department which rushed a medical team to his house in Mettupalayam to check his health (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Chennai/Man-with-suspected-H1N1-symptoms-refuses-to-be-quarantined/articleshow/4562106.cms#).

However, he told the medical team that he was suffering from cough even before his departure to Malaysia and Singapore and hence, there was no need to quarantine him in the hospital. "As he had not visited swine flu-affected countries, we gave him broad spectrum antibiotics and decided to keep him under quarantine in his own house," district health official Dr V Vijayalakshmi said.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Chennai/Man-with-suspected-H1N1-symptoms-refuses-to-be-quarantined/articleshow/4562106.cms

[Kassy]

Bit more detail:

Man keeps doctors on edge


Express News Service
First Published : 23 May 2009 03:13:00 AM IST
Last Updated : 23 May 2009 11:59:38 AM IST

COIMBATORE: A suspected swine flu patient refused to get admitted at the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH) here on Thursday, leaving the doctors perplexed. But he turned up at the hospital on Friday and gave his blood for testing.

According to sources, a 45-year-old businessman went on a tour to Singapore and Malaysia and returned to Coimbatore recently with viral fever, severe cold and throat pain.

He got admitted to a private hospital and was under treatment there. However, as a precaution, the doctors suggested him to go to the CMCH and check whether he was infected with swine flu.

Accordingly, he went to the CMCH and the doctors asked him to get admitted there as it was helpful for collecting blood samples for tests. But he wanted to be treated as an outpatient.

When the doctors turned down his request and insisted on his detention at the special ward, he “escaped”. The doctors got the jitters fearing that he ran the risk of spreading the virus, and initiated steps to trace him. They collected his address from the private hospital, where he was initially treated, and traced him to his house at Mettupalayam on the outskirts of the city.

“We brought him back to the hospital in the evening and gave him fever tablets,” CMCH dean Dr Kumaran. He said that the patient had given it in writing that he was not willing to get admitted and hence left the hospital.

A senior doctor at the CMCH said it was not necessary to quarantine him since there were no swine flu case was reported in Malaysia or Singapore. “If a person comes from either the US or Canada or Latin America with cold, fever and soar throat, he needs to be quarantined and observed,” the doctor added.

The doctors said they had verified with government officials who said “this patient need not be quarantined compulsorily, but only monitored”.

http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Man+keeps+doctors+on+edge&artid=EfAKUWd1brs=

[caonacl]

Woman under quarantine for A(H1N1)
A Correspondent

Nedumbassery (Kerala): A 24-year-old woman, who arrived at the Cochin International Airport on Monday from Abu Dhabi, was put under quarantine for suspected symptoms of A(H1N1) viral fever, said airport officials.

The woman — a cabin crew member of a foreign airline — is an Egyptian national and complained of cough and fever at the health cell opened at the international terminal to screen the passengers of the deadly virus. The authorities conducted a medical check-up of the passenger at the quarantine room.

She was shifted to the taluk hospital at Perumbavoor where she would be kept in isolation. A sample of the patient’s throat swab was collected and would be sent to the National Institute of Communicable Diseases in Delhi for detailed examination, said the officials.

The airport health officer said it might take two to five days for the symptoms of the virus to manifest and requested international passengers to report either at the airport health centre or the nearest primary health centre on symptoms of a cold or fever within 10 days of their arrival.

http://www.hindu.com/2009/05/26/stories/2009052655961100.htm (http://www.hindu.com/2009/05/26/stories/2009052655961100.htm)

[Kassy]

Hyderabad turning swine flu capital

Hyderabad is fast gaining the dubious distinction of becoming the swine flu capital of the country with three more cases getting
confirmed on Saturday. Of the 8 cases of swine flu reported in India, six are from Hyderabad with Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu
accounting for the other two.

Alarmed over the fast spreading of the infection in Hyderabad, a central team of experts and health officials are airdashing to the city to take stock of the situation and arrest the spread of the influenza. The cases confirmed on Saturday were those of a 25-year-old B Tech graduate from the city and a 31-year-old woman and her four-and-a-half-year-old daughter. Interstingly, all the three contracted the infection from the 28-year-old software professional who had tested positive on June 4. The techie had travelled from Philadephia to the city by British Airways flight 277 on May 31.

From the techie, his brother, the B Tech graduate, contracted the disease as they share an apartment in the city. The techie had got admitted to the quarantine facility two days after he landed in the city. Both the brothers are natives of Tamil Nadu and staying in the city as the techie works for a software firm here.

The other two confirmed patients are residents of Karimnagar who got admitted in Government General and Chest Hospital on June 4 after they developed symptoms of the disease including fever, cold and cough. They had travelled in the same flight as the techie. "The family members of the the woman and daughter who have tested positive will also be screened. Four members of the their family including a two-year-old child will be screened on Sunday," H1N1 Influenza Nodal Centre, coordinator, K Subhakar told STOI.

The health officials have also called all passengers who travelled in BA flights 277 which landed in the city on May 30 and 31 to get in touch with them as two of the confirmed swine flu cases had travelled in these flights. The passengers who travelled three rows before and behind the confirmed cases will have to be administered the anti viral drug - oscaltamivir.

With a total of six swine flu cases getting confirmed in the city and six more suspected cases pending, the officials of the health department are now on their toes to make arrangements to accommodate more cases. Two more quarantine facilities will be made ready to accommodate more patients.

As of now, the facility is available only at the Government General and Chest Hospital at Erragadda.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Hyderabad/Hyderabad-turning-swine-flu-capital/articleshow/4626638.cms

[Kassy]

11 swine flu cases in India; don't panic, says government

New Delhi/Hyderabad, June 8 : India Monday reported one more swine flu case, taking to 11 the number of those affected by influenza A (H1N1). Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said there was no need to panic as all precautions had been taken against the spread of the virus.


A health official said one more swine flu case had been reported in Delhi Monday.

A 35-year-old man, who tested positive for influenza A (H1N1) and is being treated, transmitted the virus to his mother - making it the first human-to-human transmission case in the national capital, the official said.

"Yes, we now have a total of 11 cases in the country. The 35-year-old man who tested positive Sunday has transmitted the virus to his mother," Shiv Lal, the head of the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD), told IANS.

Chairing a high-level meeting with senior officials, the health minister said the ministry has made a "lot of arrangements" and "airport screening would be tightened".

"There is no reason for panic because we have taken all the precautions," he told reporters.

As more cases are being reported, Azad said the government had decided to activate 16 more laboratories to test for the swine flu virus in addition to the existing two in Delhi and Pune.

He said special caution has to be exercised as the infection has now, in one or two cases, spread from humans to humans.

"The health ministry already has the labs, but they are for testing different diseases. They would be prepared for H1N1 flu also and the lab technicians and doctors would be trained within a week," the minister said.

Azad said that the government has sent a rapid action team to Andhra Pradesh where the first human to human transmission of swine flu was reported, but added that it was not enough.

"We will set up state-level rapid action forces of medical personnel to deal with the viral ailment," he added.

He said passengers, especially from the US, Mexico, Dubai and Canada, are being checked at all the 21 international airports.

According to Lal, the woman who got the virus from her 35-year-old son, is in "home quarantine".

The woman's 35-year-old son had reached Delhi from New York June 2 and tested positive for the flu.

"He developed flu-like symptoms two days after reaching Delhi and tested positive for it. The man is on home quarantine and his contacts have been provided with medicine," the official said.

Health secretary Naresh Dayal Monday said that there was no cause for panic.

"We have received more stock of vaccine from the World Health Organisation. There is nothing to panic about," Dayal said.

The first human-to-human transmission was reported in Hyderabad where a 28-year-old techie, who was coming from the US via London, was tested with the flu.

He reached Hyderabad airport May 31, but he reported to the identified hospital with swine flu symptoms on June 1. He had transmitted the flu to his younger brother as well as a 31 year-old woman and her four-and-a-half-year old daughter, who were travelling with him on the same flight.

On Sunday, a 24-year-old software engineer, who had arrived in Hyderabad on the same flight from Philadelphia via London by British Airways flight BA 277, also tested positive.

He was the fourth passenger of the same flight to be found carrying the virus.

In view of four passengers of one flight being found infected, the Andhra Pradesh government has ordered that all the 231 passengers of the flight should be administered the anti viral drug Oscaltamvir.

The health authorities has traced all the passengers and asked them not move out of their homes till further orders.

K. Subhakar, coordinator of swine flu nodal centre at Andhra Pradesh Chest Hospital in Hyderabad said the latest case has been quarantined and is being treated along with five others.

The NICD has opened its coordination center at the hospital to liaise with the state health authorities.

The six-member NICD team, which arrived in Hyderabad Sunday, is monitoring the condition of the other passengers of the British Airways flight.

Of the 11 cases, seven are from Hyderabad and two from the national capital. Hyderabad also reported the first case in the country May 16. The patient was discharged from the hospital after treatment.

Andhra Pradesh Health Education Minister P. Sudarshan Reddy said every international passenger arriving at the Hyderabad airport would have to undergo screening before being allowed to enter the city.

The health authorities have so far screened 80,000 passengers at the Hyderabad airport.

According to World Health Organisation (WHO), over 70 countries have officially reported 25,288 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection, including 139 deaths.

--- IANS

http://www.newkerala.com/nkfullnews-1-52330.html

[Kassy]

Four new swine flu cases in India

NEW DELHI, June 11 (KUNA) -- Four new cases of swine flu have been discovered in India, three in New Delhi, while one woman tested positive in Mumbai, the country's Health Ministry said on Thursday.
With this the total number of swine flu cases in India has gone up to 15.
Three of them arrived from the US, and one traveled from London.
According to a press release issued by the ministry, an 18-year-old male returning to India from Boston arrived at Delhi on June 7. He tested positive for swine flu after complaints of a fever and a sore throat on June 9, afterwhich he was isolated at the Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital.
Another passenger, a 25-year-old female arrived in New Delhi from New York also suffered from a fever and a cough on June 9 and has also been tested positive.
The third case is a 41-year-old male who had traveled to the Indian southern state of Goa from London via Mumbai on June 4, complained of a fever two days later and is presently isolated by health authorities in the identified health facility in Goa.
The fourth case is a 41-year-old female, who had traveled from Haiti (via New York) arriving in Delhi on June 5 on-board an Air India flight.
Family and social contacts of these passengers are being traced and tested, said the press release adding that details of passengers sitting in close proximity to the cases are being obtained.
So far, samples of 217 persons have been tested, of which 15 have been tested positive. Of these, two are indigenous cases who were infected from the positive cases arriving from overseas.
The rest of the samples have been found negative. Of these, 79 were identified through health screening at international airports, added the release. (end) py.sd KUNA 112051 Jun 09NNNN

http://www.kuna.net.kw/NewsAgenciesPublicSite/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=2006473&Language=en

[Kassy]

'Mumbai's heat, moisture will kill swine flu virus'

MUMBAI: A day after the World Health
Organisation (WHO) declared swine flu a global pandemic, the BMC told Mumbaikars that they did not have
anything to fear.

Though India has so far reported 15 cases, civic health officials say Mumbai's high temperature and moisture level will be, for once, helpful as the H1N1 virus is susceptible to such conditions. "We are not taking any special steps afresh, but will continue with our earlier measures. We have been screening suspect cases at Kasturba Hospital. Since May 1, we screened six persons who had come from places such as America, Canada and Jeddah, but all them tested negative,'' said executive health officer Dr Jairaj Thanekar. "We finished screening within 24 hours and although the tests were negative, we did not take any chances and kept them at the hospital longer.'' India recorded its first case of H1N1 on May 16 in Hyderabad.

Till now, India has reported 15 cases--Hyderabad (7), Coimbatore (2), Delhi (5) and Goa (1).

According to experts, India--owing to its vastness and large population--will be in real trouble if the virus starts spreading from human to human. But Thanekar maintained that in Mumbai, human-to-human transfer is unlikely as people's immunity is high. "The immunity of Mumbaikars is much high. As of now, there is no need to implement any early detection measure,'' said Thanekar.

No fresh suspected cases were reported in the state on Friday.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Mumbai/Mumbais-heat-moisture-will-kill-swine-flu-virus/articleshow/4650771.cms

Time wil tell...

[Kassy]

10 confirmed swine flu patients in India: Health Ministry

New Delhi, June 12 : The Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry has clarified that India has altogether ten confirmed cases of HINI influenza cases and the patients are being property treated.

Joint Director of the Health Ministry Vineet Choudhary said there is no need for the public to panic as the overall situation is under control.

"We have currently fifteen confirmed cases of HINI influenza A. One more case has been awaiting confirmation from the NIV at Pune. Even if we assume that 16 have tested positive, we must also bear in mind that out of these sixteen, five have been treated and discharged. They are no longer with us. They are negative. They are not in any health facility. So currently we have ten plus one who are on treatment," Choudhary said.

He also mentioned that all the states have been provided with emergency stocks to meet any eventual exigency and provide immediate relief to patients.

"We have given an emergency stock pile to each state. So in case a patient is detected, he can be straightaway be put on treatment by the state government without waiting for supplies from Delhi or else where," Choudhary said.

Meanwhile, one more patient at Hyderabad tested positive, taking the total number of infected cases in Hyderabad to eight.

"We got one more case that is the eighth case in Andhra Pradesh. This is a six year old girl who has come to Hyderabad on 9th early hours by Air India flight AI-140. She developed symptoms on the same day night. So she was isolated on 10th of this month," said Dr. Sudhakar, Medical Specialist, Government Chest Hospital, Hyderabad.

She is presently on Oseltamivir and said to be stable, and all her family and social contacts have been identified and put on chemoprophylaxis. Details of the passengers who sat in close proximity to these cases in the concerned airlines are being obtained.

The new strain, commonly known as swine flu, has infected 21,940 people in 69 countries, killing 125 of them, according to the WHO.

--- ANI

http://www.newkerala.com/nkfullnews-1-55141.html

[Kassy]

20-month-old tests positive, India's swine flu cases at 17

Hyderabad/New Delhi, June 13 : A 20-month-old boy tested positive for the influenza A (H1N1) virus Saturday, a day after his six-year-old relative was confirmed to have contracted swine flu, taking the total number of cases in India to 17, officials said.

'A total of 17 swine flu cases have been reported (in India), of which nine patients have been discharged. The rest of the patients are all stable and remain admitted to the identified health facilities,' a health official said in Delhi.

Hyderabad health authorities said the child, who had arrived from New York along with the the six-year-old girl and some other relatives in the Andhra Pradesh capital June 9, had tested positive.

This is the ninth case of influenza A (H1N1) in Hyderabad, the highest in India. This is also the third Hyderabad child to be found infected.

Both children are being treated at the Andhra Pradesh Chest Hospital, the nodal centre for dealing with flu cases.

As the children can't be quarantined, two relatives have been allowed to stay with them.

'The grandfather of the girl is staying with her while the grandmother of the boy is staying with him. They are also being given medication and their samples are being tested,' K. Subhakar, coordinator, HINI influenza nodal centre told IANS

The relatives of the children who were travelling with them were tested negative but they along with other family members are also being given anti-viral drug as a precautionary measure as the children stayed with them after their arrival here by Indian Airlines-140 flight June 9.

The authorities have also screened 20 passengers seated three rows in front and three rows behind the infected children but none of them were found to be carrying symptoms of swine flu. They are also being given anti-viral drug oscaltamivir.

With this the number of H1N1 infected people at the hospital mounted to three. Six people have been treated and discharged since May 16. Three patients, including four-and-a-half-year old girl and her 31-year-old mother, were discharged Friday.

Subhakar said four people suspected to have swine flu symptoms have been kept under observation at the hospital. Their samples have been sent to the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD), Delhi for tests.

'While three people came to the hospital Saturday, the fourth one had approached us Friday,' he said.

The three who came Saturday include a 25-year-old man who arrived here from Austin June 9 by Emirates flight. He developed the symptoms of swine flu after he reached home in Nandyal town in Kurnool district. He was shifted to Chest Hospital here and his samples were sent to NICD.

Of the 17 cases in India, five are from Delhi, two from Coimbatore and one from Goa. India reported its first swine flu case May 16.

Officials said so far samples of 240 people have been tested, of whom 17 have tested positive for the flu.

On Saturday, a couple and their three children in Chennai and an American national in Bangalore were quarantined as they showed symptoms of swine flu.

The couple and their three children, who flew in from the US in the morning, were quarantined after their five-year-old daughter displayed symptoms of swine flu.

Their blood samples have been sent to the NICD.

The family was first taken to the Communicable Diseases Hospital in Chennai where tests for swine flu were done on them. The family was advised to remain in the hospital, but they refused to do so.

In Bangalore, a 37-year-old American national was quarantined and was admitted to the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases(RGICD), where four other patients, all Indians, have been admitted with suspected swine flu symptoms. The four were admitted to the institute Friday.

'The five patients are doing fine,' RGICD director Shashidhar Buggi told IANS.

In New Delhi, a 35-year-old man and his 60-year-old mother were discharged after they tested negative for the flu Saturday, said J.P.Singh, the Delhi government health secretary.

'At the moment there are three people, including two women, who are undergoing treatment,' Singh told IANS.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), which has declared swine flu a pandemic, 74 countries have officially reported 29,669 cases of the influenza A(H1N1) infection, including 145 deaths.

--- IANS

http://www.newkerala.com/nkfullnews-1-55649.html

[Kassy]

Swine flu cases in India rise to 23

HYDERABAD/ NEW DELHI: With four confirmed cases of H1N1 influenza reported in the country on Sunday, the number of people hit by the pandemic
rose to 23. Of the four, three were reported in Hyderabad and one, of a schoolboy from Punjab, in Delhi. (TOI is withholding the names of patients to protect their identities.)

With three more H1N1 flu suspects testing positive in Hyderabad, the number of cases reported from the city went up to 12. Among the three fresh cases, two are children, both sisters. Also, five new suspected swine flu cases have been reported at the quarantine facility. An eight-year-old and her four-year-old sister, who had landed in Hyderabad from New Jersey by Indian Airlines Flight IA-140 on June 12, tested positive on Sunday evening. The two sisters were admitted to the Government General and Chest Hospital, Erragadda, with flu symptoms. The third confirmed case is that of the grandmother of the 20-month-old toddler who tested positive on Sunday. The 42-year-old woman was quarantined along with the child the same day. She travelled with the kid by AI flight from New Jersey to Hyderabad which reached the city on June 10.

A 17-year-old boy from Jalandhar, who travelled from Orlando transiting New York by a Qatar Airline flight, tested positive for H1N1 influenza at Delhi airport. The student, who had gone to Nasa along with 30 other students from Jalandhar, is at the Airport Health Organisation Hospital and has been put on Tamiflu. "The boy showed symptoms of flu and we admitted him in our facility. His friends, who travelled with him in the flight, were also screened. His family has come to Delhi," said a health official. Alerted by the case, the health department in Punjab has contacted school authorities. According to officials, eight students have shown flu-like symptoms and have been isolated. Their blood samples have been sent to the National Institute of Communicable Diseases.

Meanwhile, there was an inter-ministerial meeting at Nirman Bhawan to review the situation and preparedness to handle H1N1 influenza. Members of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) were also present and the meeting was chaired by principal health secretary Naresh Dayal. Cabinet secretary K M Chandrashekhar, who heads the National Crisis Management, was briefed about the situation and the country’s preparedness to handle H1N1 influenza. "We are holding daily meetings to review the situation and preparedness. There is no need to panic. We are also in touch with state governments," said a NDMA official.

The NICD received 10 samples of suspected cases from across the country, including two from Delhi. The NICD has started sequencing and studying strain isolated from all the positive patients. WHO has so far reported 29,699 confirmed cases from 74 countries.

Meanwhile, health officials in Hyderabad are set to screen passengers of the June 12 flight, IA-140, who sat three rows before and three rows behind the two girls and their mother.

Worryingly, there is no ebb in the number of swine flu suspects flocking to Andhra capital. Four suspects cases got admitted to the hospital on Sunday. Incidentally, the number of child suspects, too, increased with a six-year-old girl from Minneapolis and nine-year-old boy from New Jersey being among the five suspects.

The six-year-old girl had arrived in the city to visit her relatives in Karimnagar on June 12. She developed symptoms on June 13 and got admitted to the quarantine hospital on Sunday. The nine-year-old boy arrived to meet his relatives on Sunday by the British Airlines flight. Since he had symptoms of the flu, including cough and cold, he was shifted to the Chest hospital in the wee hours of Sunday.

"Children and old people are more likely to catch the viral infection and hence there is an increase in the number of cases from this age group. Children will have to stay in the hospital for 14 days rather than a normal of eight days," H1N1 Influenza Nodal Centre, coordinator, K Subhakar told TOI.

Another suspect, a 43-year-old woman from Kuwait, who had come to the city by Kuwait Airlines flight on Sunday morning, was shifted to the quarantine hospital as she showed symptoms of the flu at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Shamshabad. The woman, a native of West Godavari district, has been living in Kuwait for past many years.

Meanwhile, the officials of the nodal centre said that the virology testing facility at Institute of Preventive Medicine in the city will be ready soon. "The equipment required for testing are there at the centre. All arrangements have been made to get the IPM centre for testing ready. Once the central government gives orders the centre will start functioning," Subhakar said.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Swine-flu-cases-in-India-rise-to-23/articleshow/4655365.cms

[Kassy]

Fresh swine flu cases from Jalandhar, Hyderabad

NEW DELHI: With new cases of swine flu reported from Jalandhar and Hyderabad on Monday, the total number in the country has gone up to 30.

The new cases include a 48-year-old woman, and two girls — four and eight years old — who travelled from Newark, U.S., transiting Frankfurt and Mumbai, and reached Hyderabad on June 10.

The children later developed symptoms of fever and cough. On June 12, they were brought to a medical facility, where they tested positive for A (H1N1) influenza. Their contacts are being traced.

A Jalandhar-based student, who tested positive on his return from a U.S. trip on Sunday, is being treated in Delhi. Seven of his classmates have also tested positive for the virus. Three others are under observation.

The children are stable and responding to treatment in a Jalandhar hospital. Their families and social contacts, and those who were seated near them in the flight have been identified and put on chemoprophylaxis.

On Monday, Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad held a meeting with senior officers. He asked Chief Ministers to gear up their health machinery to tackle the possible spread of the virus. He reiterated that there was no cause for panic as the disease was curable.

The Director-General of Health Services has been asked to send a rapid response team to Punjab and make available adequate quantities of Tamiflu to help contain the disease. “State health authorities have since been alerted, and a separate isolation ward has been set up in the government hospital in Jalandhar to treat cases with symptoms of swine flu,” said a senior official.

So far, samples of 318 people have been tested, of whom 30 have tested positive; 92 people were identified through health screening at international airports and 10 by tracing contacts. The rest were samples from persons who reported themselves.

Of the 30 positive cases, 11 have been discharged.
“Defer foreign tours”

PTI reports:

The government asked people, particularly students, to defer foreign visits till the pandemic is controlled globally. “Till this disease is controlled globally. I would like to request young people, from educational institutions going abroad, that they can suspend their visits,” Mr. Azad said.

http://www.hindu.com/2009/06/16/stories/2009061660551100.htm

[Kassy]

Swine flu cases shoot up to 31 ( <= from 30... :D )
Hyderabad/New Delhi/ Chandigargh,DH News Service
Wednesday, June 17, 2009

One more case of swine flu was confirmed in Hyderabad on Tuesday, taking the total number of such cases to 13 in the City.

With this, the Andhra Pradesh capital accounts for the highest number of the 31 cases in India.
A nine-year-old boy, who arrived in Hyderabad from New Jersey by a British Airways flight on Sunday, and seven students, who returned to Jalandhar from an education trip to the US, were the latest to be detected with the symptoms of swine flu. The nine-year-old boy has been quarantined in AP Chest Hospital in Hyderabad. He is on treatment, and all his contacts are being traced.
All infected persons in Andhra Pradesh, except one, came from the United States. The exception was a man who got infected by his brother, who had returned from Philadelphia.
Of the 13 infected, six have been discharged. Till now 315 samples have been tested in the country.
Of the 315 persons tested, 101 were identified at the health screening at international airports.

Alert in Punjab

Alert has been sounded in Punjab after eight cases of swine flu were confirmed at Jalandhar.
Eight persons, including seven students of Guru Amar Das public School at Jalandhar, tested positive for swine flu as their blood samples were examined following the detection of virus infection in one of their batchmates on their return from an educational trip to the United States.
The student was admitted to a hospital in Delhi, while his batchmates and teachers travelled to Jalandhar.
The Jalandhar civil surgeon Dr S S Walia said the condition of all the infected students was stable.

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/8555/swine-flu-cases-shoot-up.html

[Kassy]

44 swine flu cases in India

NEW DELHI/BANGALORE/BHUBANESWAR: Nine people, including a 12-year-old boy, were confirmed to have contracted swine flu virus in India on
Thursday, taking the total number of people infected with the A(H1N1) influenza in the country to 44. But Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad reiterated there was no need to worry.

Delhi reported five cases, followed by Bangalore (three) and Hyderabad (one). All patients are undergoing treatment in the isolation facilities.

While three of the patients in Delhi have returned from the US, Japan and Australia, the remaining are human-to-human infections. "They are family contacts of the two positive cases reported Wednesday," a health ministry communique said.

"So far samples of 370 persons have been tested. Of these 44 have been tested positive for the Influenza A [H1N1]. Of these, only four are indigenous cases who got the infection from the positive cases traveled from abroad," the ministry said.

Of the 44 cases, 16 have been discharged. "The rest of the patients are all stable and remain admitted to the identified health facility," the ministry said.

The person who tested positive in Hyderabad too had returned from the US.

S. Buggi, director of the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases in Bangalore, told IANS: "Two businessman, aged 38 and 48, who arrived in Bangalore from Bangkok a couple of days back were found positive with A (H1N1) virus. The 12-year-old boy had returned from Los Angeles."

"All the patients are doing well and are healthy. We have kept them in isolation wards," he said, adding that the boy's family members have tested negative.

"The 29-year-old woman and her three-year-old daughter (the first two confirmed cases in Bangalore), are recovering fast. Their latest throat swab samples have turned negative," Buggi added.

Unperturbed by the growing number of positive cases, Health Minister Azad told reporters in Bhubaneswar: "There is nothing to worry. The situation is under control."

He said while the US is one-fourth of India in terms of population, it had so far reported 18,000 cases and 44 of them have died.

"Similarly in Canada, 6,000 cases were reported. In Japan, 3,000 cases were so far reported. Compared to these countries, the situation in India could be said fully under control," said the minister.

Meanwhile, one girl in Gujarat was quarantined after she showed swine flue-like symptoms on returning from the US.

Among the 31 schoolchildren in Jalandhar who returned from the US, 14 children continue to be under medication. Of them, eight have so far been tested positive. They have responded to treatment. The remaining children and about 296 contacts are under chemoprophylaxis.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), at least 76 countries have officially reported 39,620 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection, including 167 deaths. Most of these deaths have been reported from Mexico (108) and the US (44).

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/44-swine-flu-cases-in-India/articleshow/4672995.cms

[Kassy]

Six more swine flu cases detected in India, tally now 50

New Delhi, June 19 : Six people, including two children, tested positive for the influenza A(H1N1) virus Friday, taking the total number of people affected with swine flu to 50.

'Six new cases of swine flu have been reported - three from Delhi, two from Bangalore and one from Mumbai. All of them have been quarantined at identified health facilities and their contacts are being traced,' a health ministry official said.

In Delhi, a nine-year-old boy who returned from the US June 11 tested positive. He reported himself to the hospital after he developed swine flu-like symptoms June 17.

A 28-year-old man who travelled from Egypt June 13 also tested positive for swine flu.

The third patient is a human-to-human transfer case: a 66-year-old woman contracted the flu from her son, who had tested positive June 17.

'Delhi has reported three new swine flu cases, including one of human-to-human transfer. We now have 12 swine flu cases in various hospitals in the capital. We are now focusing on containing the secondary infection spreading in the capital,' Delhi Health Secretary J.P. Singh told IANS.

He said the Delhi health department was closely watching the situation.

The capital accounts for four of the five human-to-human transfer cases in the country.

According to the health ministry, among the 50 cases so far, 16 patients have been discharged and the rest of the patients are stable and remain in the identified health facilities.

A two-year-old boy who travelled from the US and reached Bangalore June 14 has tested positive for swine flu. The second case was of a 36-year-old man who travelled from Germany and reached Bangalore June 14. He reported to an identified health facility June 17 and has tested positive.

A 36-year-old male who travelled from New Jersey, US, and reached Mumbai June 15 has also tested positive.

The World Health Organisation has reported 39,620 laboratory confirmed cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection from 89 countries as June 17. There have been 167 deaths.

http://www.newkerala.com/nkfullnews-1-58905.html

The flu cases are coming in from lots of different countries...

[caonacl]

Centre warns of Swine flu escalation during monsoon

By: MiDDAY Correspondent Date: 2009-06-15 Place:New Delhi A scary warning from the government of India – the worst of the swine flu epidemic is yet to come after monsoon.

Six more per sons tested positive for the A-H1N1 swine flu virus in different parts of the country on Sunday. The total number of confirmed infections in India is now stands at 23.

The Union health ministry held a high-level review meeting with officials of the National Disaster Management Authority and the National Institute of Communicable Diseases to ensure the disease does not spread with the monsoon looming.

Health Secretary Naresh Dayal said, "Till now it has been under control because of the summer heat but we fear that once the temperature becomes cooler the virus might proliferate."

"We are happy that this time it is not proliferating so much because the temperature is high. But after the monsoon there is a chance that it can come again," he added.

However, the health minister said that the level six pandemic of the WHO is not applicable for India.
On Thursday, the World Health Organization had officially declared a swine flu pandemic, the first global flu epidemic in 41 years.

Admitting that the upcoming monsoon may change the swine flu scenario, BMC executive health officer Dr Jayraj Thanekar admitted that humidity and temperature change could play a big part. "We do not know what change to anticipate but yes, the monsoons may prove conducive for the virus. There could be new issues to deal with," he said.
The state that has now only been screening international passengers has stepped up vigilance and has now distributed Tamiflu to all 33 state district offices.

"200 capsules each have been distributed and regional health officers are being trained to detect symptoms. Since there have been confirmed cases in other parts of the country we cannot take the risk of ignoring possible cross border infections and so in case patients are displaying symptoms and are far away from Mumbai, they can be quarantined and treated," said Dr Uddhav Gawande, deputy director, state health services.

Gawande also said that increased measures were taken keeping the upcoming monsoons in mind. "The virus is a new, so there is only speculation at this moment but we are taking extra measures in case there is an increase," he said.

A day earlier it had said 74 countries had reported more than 27,700 cases of swine flu, including 141 deaths.
On Sunday, two confirmed cases were reported in Bangalore, one was reported in Delhi and Hyderabad, the epicenter of the disease in the country at the moment reported three. The cases in Hyderabad are on the pattern noticed till now.

http://www.mid-day.com/news/2009/jun/150609swine-flu-panic-monsoon-summer-virus-spread.htm

[Kassy]

Four more people in different parts of the country tested positive for the influenza A (H1N1) Monday, taking the total number of people affected by the flu virus in India to 63.

The condition of a 66-year-old woman, who contracted the flu from her son, deteriorated and she was put on ventilator in a hospital in Delhi.

"The woman tested positive June 17 and was shifted to Deen Dayal Updhayay Hospital. She is said to have a chronic respiratory illness and her condition deteriorated Sunday and she was put on ventilator. She continues to be on ventilator. A group of experts is attending to her," a health ministry official said.

"Four new cases - two from Delhi and one each from Mumbai and Pune - tested positive for the swine flu in India Monday," the official said.

In Delhi, a 25-year-old man who came from the US and self reported to an identified health facility with complaints of sore throat June 20 was tested positive for the flu.

The second case was of a 29-year-old woman, who travelled from Canada via Belgium and reached Delhi June 18. She has also tested positive for the flu.

In Pune, a 24-year-old man who came from the US via London and reported to the hospital with flu like symptoms tested positive for the virus.

In Mumbai, a 23-year-old woman who came from Melbourne June 19 has also tested positive for the flu.

"All these people have been isolated and are being treated. We are trying to trace their contacts," the official said.

With increasing number of cases in Delhi, the government has sought help from the private hospitals in the capital.

"We have written to all private hospitals asking them to join hands with the government in handling swine flu patients. They have to prepare isolation wards and the government will provide them with the Tamiflu drug. But we are yet to hear from them," said a senior health official in Delhi government.

Meanwhile, of the 63 cases 37 have been discharged after they recovered from the flu. India has reported six indigenous cases where people contracted the flu without going abroad.

World Health Organization (WHO) has reported 44,287 laboratory confirmed cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection from 94 countries. There have been 180 deaths.

Health screening of passengers coming from affected countries is continuing in 22 international airports. 44,691 passengers have been screened on June 21 with 27,345 passengers from affected countries.

A total of 224 doctors and 112 paramedics have been deployed to man 77 counters at these airports. A cumulative total of over 2,200,000 passengers have been screened.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?sectionName=NLetter&id=927aaefc-ff7c-4807-91e1-729dc3e56fae&Headline=Four+new+cases+of+swine+flu%2c+India%27s+ tally+now+63

[Kassy]

Two more suspected swine flu cases in Goa

Two people, who came to Goa from the US earlier this month, have been quarantined at home after they displayed symptoms of swine flu, officials said on Tuesday.

State epidemiologist Dr Rajendra Tamba, who is also Goa's nodal officer for swine flu, said the two were a mother-son duo who had travelled from the US to Goa on June 2.

"The duo reported swine-flu like symptoms during their stay here following which their samples were taken and they have been quarantined at home," he said, adding their swab samples have been dispatched to the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) in New Delhi for examination.

The results of the tests would be received by the state government within a couple of days, Tamba said.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?sectionName=NLetter&id=fea74348-02d2-40dc-8f55-09cc9d5cdc6a&Headline=Two+more+suspected+swine+flu+cases+in+Goa

June 2nd is a long time ago so they got it there (if it's confirmed).

[Kassy]

The ninth case of H1N1 Influenza A has been confirmed in Bangalore.

The 24-year-old graduate student from New York, who was screened at Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases (RGICD) tested positive on Monday, and has been admitted at the Institute for treatment.

The student who landed at Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) early Monday morning, was referred to the RGICD after the initial screening. Throat swabs were sent to National Institute of Virology, Pune while he was under house quarantine. He was on vacation in Bangalore, sources said.

Of the seven throat swabs sent to NIV, Pune, on Monday, six tested negative while one tested positive, the sources added. The throat swabs of parents of the student who tested positive have been sent to NIV, Pune, as well as they were in close contact with him, he said. We have started chemoprophylaxis treatment for the parents.

On Tuesday, 12 patients who came to the institute voluntarily, were screened, and of them six throat swabs were sent for scanning. The four throat swabs which tested positive, have been sent to NIV, Pune. Currently there are five positive cases admitted at RGICD. The patients at Lakeside Hospital were discharged on Tuesday. A total of 2,938 passengers at BIA and 165 in Mangalore were screened.

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/9849/swine-flu-one-more-tests.html

[Kassy]

India Reports Five More Flu Cases, Total Stands at 73
(IANS)


NEW DELHI — Five people, including an eight-year-old boy and two teenagers, were detected to have been affected with swine flu on Wednesday, taking the total number of influenza A (H1N1) cases in India to 73, health officials said.

Two of the new cases are from Delhi, while one each is from Madurai, Hyderabad and Chandigarh, according to the officials.

“At least 532 persons have been tested so far. Of them, 73 are positive for influenza A(H1N1). Of these, six are indigenous cases, who got the infection from the positive cases who travelled from abroad,” said an official statement.

In Delhi, a 40-year-old man and his wife tested positive for the flu. The man had travelled from the US via Germany and was accompanied by his 39-year-old wife. Both of them had developed fever, sore throat and body ache.

“They reported to the identified health facility on June 22. Their samples were given for testing and the report showed that they were infected with the virus,” a health official said.

The eight-year-old boy, who came from the US via Mumbai, reached Madurai on June 13. His family reported his case to the health facility on June 18.

The fourth case is from Chandigarh where a 19-year-old youth was found to be infected with the flu. He had also travelled from the US and reached New Delhi June 20. “He travelled by road to Gurdaspur. He developed fever, cough on June 22 and reported to the health facility at Chandigarh,” the official said.

The boy studies computer science in California and had come to spend his holidays at his home in Punjab.

“The patient was admitted to the government hospital in Sector 16 of Chandigarh on Monday with a complaint of high fever, running nose and sore throat. Seeing his travel history, we admitted him here in an isolated ward and sent his throat swab samples to NICD (National Institute of Communicable Diseases) in New Delhi,” H.C. Gera, union territory nodal officer for swine flu, told IANS in Chandigarh.

“We got the confirmation from NICD on late Tuesday evening that he has tested positive. Our team of doctors is observing him and his condition is stable. There is no need to panic and we are fully equipped to deal with the situation,” he added. “More than a dozen cases of suspected swine flu came to Chandigarh hospitals in the last few weeks but this is the first positive case,” Gera said. Seven members of the boy’s family too ahve been quarantined.

“The condition of the family members is normal and they have not shown any symptoms of swine flu till now. However, we would monitor them for the next few days as a precautionary measure,” Gera said. The fifth case was reported from Hyderabad where a 15-year-old girl, who had come from Hong Kong via Singapore and reached the city on June 19, developed complaints of sore throat, running nose and fever. She was admitted to an identified city hospital on June 22. Her report confirmed on Wednesday she was infected with the flu. — IANS

Officials in Delhi said a 66-year-old woman, who was admitted to a hospital in the capital after her condition deteriorated, is now in a stable condition.

The woman had contracted the flu from her son. She was put on ventilator after her condition worsened as she also suffered from chronic respiratory illness.

Of the 73 cases in the country, seven have got the virus through human contact, the officials said.

Of these 73 cases, 43 have been discharged and the rest remain admitted to the identified health facility, they said.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), at least 55,867 laboratory confirmed cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection have been reported from 108 countries. There have been 238 deaths worldwide, mostly from Mexico and the US.

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/international/2009/June/international_June2041.xml&section=international&col=

73 cases

66 imported 7 local
43 discharged 30 hospitalized

[Kassy]

Five new swine flu cases in India, total 78

NEW DELHI: Five people, including three children, tested positive on Thursday for the swine flu, taking the total number of influenza A (H1N1)
virus cases in India to 78, health officials said.

"About 588 persons have been tested so far, of which 78 are positive for Influenza A (H1N1). Of these, six are indigenous cases," an official statement issued here said.

Of the five new cases reported on Thursday, two are from Gurgaon, one each from Delhi, Pune and Kolkata.

In Gurgaon, a 19-year-old young man, who had travelled from Minnesota in the US to London where he stayed for 10 days before reaching Delhi June 21, was tested positive for the flu. He reported of fever and cough on June 22.

The second case from the satellite town on the outskirts of the national capital is a 10-year-old girl, who travelled from New York to New Delhi June 19. But on June 21, she was found to be suffering from fever, cough and sore throat.

"Both of them were under home quarantine, but are being shifted to health facility on testing positive," he said.

In Delhi, a young girl, whose parents tested positive for the virus earlier, was found to be infected with the flu.

The six-year-old girl had travelled from Miami in the US via Frankfurt and had reached Delhi June 18.

In Pune, a 29-year-old man, who travelled from San Francisco
in the US via Hong Kong and Mumbai, was admitted to a health facility after he developed fever, chills, sore throat and headache after reaching then city on June 24.

In Kolkata, a seven-year-old girl has tested positive. She had come from Melbourne in the Australia to Kolkata via Bangkok on June 23. She was detected at the airport screening centre and was shifted to an identified health facility.

"Of the 78 cases, fifty have been discharged. Rest of them remain admitted to the identified health facility," the statement said.

According to World Health Organisation (WHO), on June 24 about 55,867 laboratory confirmed cases of influenza A infection were reported from 108 countries. There have been 238 deaths, mostly from Mexico and the US.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Five-new-swine-flu-cases-in-India-total-78/articleshow/4702831.cms

[Kassy]

First suspected swine flu death in India


HIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In what is suspected to be the first swine flu death in India, a 51-year-old NRI hailing from Kerala's Kollam died at a
private hospital in the district on Wednesday night.T

`The man, identified as Stanely Pelis, had returned from the UK in early June. The end came around 9pm, just a couple of hours after he was admitted to the Holy Cross hospital,'' the state's director of health services K Shylaja said. A throat swab has been sent to the National Institute of Communicable Diseases in Delhi to identify if it was indeed the H1N1 virus, she added.

Asked if Pelis had been quarantined on arrival, Shylaja said, ``He had landed at the Mumbai airport from UK. He then took a domestic flight to Thiruvananthapuram and disembarked at the domestic terminal here on June 12''. The screening by health authorities is done mainly at the international terminals and hence he may have passed through.

``He may have been screened at Mumbai, but then it is quite possible that he did not show any symptoms of the flu as the virus has a one week incubation period. Later after reaching home, he developed fever and consulted physicians who gave him medicines for common flu. But then it aggravated and finally on Wednesday, he had to be admitted,'' Shylaja explained.

Meanwhile, two persons who deplaned at the Nedumbasseri International Airport in Kochi with symptoms of the influenza have been admitted to special wards and placed under observation. They were returning from Ireland and USA respectively.

On Wednesday, the NICD had confirmed the presence of H1N1 in a 69-year-old woman hailing from Chenganoor in Alappuzha district, taking the number of swine flu affected in the state to four. She had arrived here from Canada.

On June 28, the health directorate had for the first time since the outbreak of the pandemic confirmed three cases of swine flu in Kerala. This included a mother-son duo who had returned from London. The 24-year-old boy Tony, a house surgeon in UK, and his 53-year-old mother Mary had arrived at the Nedumbasseri International airport from London with symptoms of common flu. The third was Rukhiya, a 34-year-old hailing from Manjeri in Malappuram district.

The Health department also announced that it was stepping up surveillance at international airports.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/First-suspected-swine-flu-death-in-India/articleshow/4731015.cms

[Kassy]

Officially denied:

12 new cases of swine flu, total 128 in India

Twelve new cases of swine flu were reported in the country on Friday, taking the total number of influenza A (H1N1) cases to 128, health officials said in New Delhi.

"About 837 people have been tested so far, of which 128 are positive for Influenza A H1N1. Of the 128 positive cases, 82 have been discharged," a statement issued in New Delhi said.

The 12 cases were reported from - Bangalore (6), Kozhikode (2), Delhi (2), Hyderabad (1) and Amritsar (1).

The health ministry also denied reports that a patient from Kerala had died due to the virus. "This is not correct. His throat and nasal swab have tested negative for influenza A at the National Institute of Communicable Diseases, Delhi," it said.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), about 77,201 confirmed cases of influenza A infection have been reported from 120 countries till July 1. There have been 332 deaths worldwide, most of them in Mexico and the US.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?sectionName=NLetter&id=c82c515e-a1e7-43fe-8d0a-369fc87ad451&Headline=12+new+cases+of+swine+flu%2c+total+128+in +India

[Kassy]

Nine new swine flu cases, tally mounts to 145

New Delhi, July 6 : Nine new cases of swine flu were reported Monday, taking the total figure of the influenza A H1N1 cases in the country to 145 so far, health officials said here.

'Of the 939 persons tested so far in the country, 145 have been tested positive for the influenza A (H1N1),' a statement issued here said.

Of the total cases, 103 people have been discharged from hospital after treatment.

The new cases Monday were reported from Delhi (2), Jalandhar (2), Mumbai (2), Kochi (1), Bangalore (1) and Gurgaon (1).

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a total of 94,512 laboratory confirmed cases of swine flu have been reported from 135 countries so far.

There have been 429 deaths worldwide, mostly from Mexico and the US.

http://www.newkerala.com/nkfullnews-1-68338.html

[Kassy]

Eight new swine flu cases, total in India 153


New Delhi, July 7 : Eight new swine flu cases were reported Tuesday in India taking the total number of people infected with the influenza A(H1N1) virus to 153 in the country, the health ministry said.

'So far, 970 people have been tested, of which 153 are positive for Influenza A(H1N1),' a statement issued here said.

An official said of the 970 people tested for swine flu, 290 were identified through entry screening at the 22 international airports.

'Of the 153 positive cases, 106 have been discharged,' the official added.

The eight new cases were reported from Mumbai (2), Delhi (2), Hyderabad (1), and Bangalore (3).

A 66-year-old woman, who had tested positive for the virus last month in Delhi and had developed complications because she had respiratory problems, was discharged Tuesday after she recovered.

The World Health Organization (WHO) Monday said there were 94,512 laboratory confirmed cases of influenza A (H1N1) infection in 135 countries since the outbreak of the virus.

There have been 429 deaths globally, majority from Mexico and the US.

--- IANS

http://www.newkerala.com/nkfullnews-1-68992.html

[Kassy]

Six new swine flu cases surface, total 164 in India

Six new cases of swine flu were reported on Thursday in the country, including three in the national capital, taking the total number of people infected with the influenza A(H1N1) virus to 164 so far, health officials said in New Delhi.

According to the union health ministry, of the six new cases three are from Delhi and one each from Goa, Hyderabad and Bangalore.

Those detected for the flu Thursday include a four-and-a-half year old girl and a 78-year-old woman.

"About 1,040 people have been tested so far, of whom 164 have tested positive for influenza A (H1N1)," a statement issued here said.

"Of the 164 positive cases, 114 have been discharged," it said.

Of the 1,040 people tested, about 320 were identified during the airport entry screening.

About 3.07 million have been screened at the 22 international airports in the country so far, the officials said.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), about 94,512 laboratory confirmed cases of influenza A (H1N1) infection cases have been reported from 135 countries till July 6. As many as 429 deaths have been reported worldwide, mostly from Mexico and the US.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?sectionName=NLetter&id=136d7036-bbe8-4d28-8a20-f557f5a1bd58&Headline=Six+new+swine+flu+cases%2c+total+164+in+I ndia

[Kassy]

Doctors unsure on handling swine flu patients

Staff Reporter

‘Patients should be discharged only after they test negative’

Testing facility to start functioning in NIMHANS soon

Bangalore: Almost two months after the fist H1N1 positive cases were reported in the city, the State health machinery has many doubts to be cleared.

This was revealed at an orientation programme on “Influenza A H1N1” organised by the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases (RGICD) on Thursday.

The Medical Superintendent of a government hospital, which had handled six H1N1 cases, wanted to know how many days should a patient stay in hospital.

A junior doctor from RGICD was curious to know if all those who tend to the patient should be on chemoprophylaxis.

A nurse from the same institute asked whether she had to wear personal protection gear even if she was on chemoprophylaxis treatment.

“Three patients in our facility tested positive for three consecutive days after their treatment began. After how many days should we discharge a positive case? While we have only six beds in our facility, we are getting several patients,” Medical Superintendent of Victoria Hospital B.G. Tilak said.

“Although we discharged four patients 10 days after they were admitted, I want to know if there are any guidelines on the number of days a patient should be quarantined?,” he asked.

Dr. Shivaraj A.L., an in-service postgraduate student at RGICD who has handled several positive cases, said the patient could be discharged seven days after they became asymptomatic.

Regional Director of the Union Health and Family Welfare Services Anbazhagan, RGICD director Shashidhar Buggi and Head of the Department of Neuro-Virology in NIMHANS V. Ravi, who cleared these doubts, said there was no need to panic.
Discharge

Replying to Dr. Tilak’s question, Dr. Anbazhagan said the Union Ministry of Health had circulated guidelines on treatment protocol and discharge policy for H1N1 patients.

“With an increase in the number of H1N1 cases and with instances of several cases testing positive even after regular courses of treatment, the Ministry had communicated to the treating facilities to discharge patients only after the patients test negative. Patients, who respond to treatment after two or three days and become totally asymptomatic, should be discharged after five days of treatment,” he said.

Dr. Ravi said personal hygiene was a must to keep away the flu.

“The disease can be effectively treated and infection avoided if strict preventive steps such as washing your hands with soap and warm water are followed. Although there is no vaccine for the virus, the disease can be treated,” he said. Saying the swine flu testing laboratory at NIMHANS would soon start functioning, Dr. Ravi said: “We did a few trial tests on July 1 and stopped after that because of short supply of testing kits. We will resume tests soon after we get the supply from the World Health Organisation (WHO),” he said.

Dr. Buggi said the 13-bed quarantine facility in the institute would be upgraded by adding more beds and providing air-conditioners. “Most of the 24 cases that we have treated tested negative within two days of treatment. There is no need to panic,” he said.

H. Paramesh from Lakeside and several other doctors participated in the programme that was inaugurated by Medical Education Secretary V. Umesh.

Meanwhile, 32-year-old Malaysian citizen, who came from Malaysia a few days ago, has tested positive for H1N1 virus on Thursday.

He had reported voluntarily for screening at the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases on Wednesday.

http://www.hindu.com/2009/07/10/stories/2009071051810300.htm

[Kassy]

14 new swine flu cases take India tally to 183

New Delhi, July 11 : India Saturday reported 14 new swine flu cases, taking the total number of people infected with the influenza A(H1N1) virus to 183, according to the health ministry.

About 1,117 people have been tested so far of which 183 are positive for Influenza A(H1N1),' a statement issued here said.

'Of the 183 positive cases, 131 have been discharged. Rest of them remain admitted to the identified health facility,' it said.

Out of the 1,117 people, 340 were identified through the airport entry screening.

Health officials said the new laboratory-confirmed cases have been reported from Delhi (4), Ahmedabad (2), Pune (3), Hyderabad (2) and Chennai (3).

In Delhi, the four cases, including three teenagers, are from one family that had come here from Singapore July 8. They tested positive for the flu Saturday.

In Ahmedabad, two people testing positive were part of a group of 40 students who travelled by American Airlines and had reached Delhi July 4. The two returned Ahmedabad July 7.

The officials said the group of 40 students had gone to the US on a yearlong exchange programme through an NGO and had traveled back to India from Chicago

'They stayed in Delhi for three days and then went to their respective states,' the statement said.

These students belong to Maharashtra (9), Gujarat (18), Karnataka (1), Tamil Nadu (7) and Delhi (5).

'All of them and their contacts are being traced and also their modality of inland travel ascertained,' it said.

In Chennai, a 34-year-old woman and her nine-year-old son and six-year-old daughter tested positive for swine flu. Her husband has also been quarantined, the officials added.

The family travelled by Saudi Arabian Airlines from Dammam in Saudi Arabia and reached Chennai July 9.

'They were detected at the airport with low-grade fever and cough and admitted to an identified isolation facility,' the official said.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), at least 94,512 laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection have been reported from 135 countries till July 6. There have been 429 deaths globally, most of them in Mexico and the US.

http://www.newkerala.com/nkfullnews-1-71775.html

[Kassy]

Dubai swine flu man quarantined in India

A 39-year-old man from Dubai has been diagnosed with swine flu and put into quarantine in the Indian city of Hyderabad.

The man was one of two new cases of the H1N1 virus to be confirmed in Andhra Pradesh state, taking the total number of cases to 23.

He was put into isolation on Thursday, according to comments by Dr S V Prasad of the AP Chest Hospital, printed in the Hindu Times.

The second case was confirmed in a 24-year-old man who travelled from Texas via Goa to Hyderabad.

A total of five swine flu cases are currently in quarantine in the hospital.

http://www.arabianbusiness.com/561683-dubai-swine-flu-man-quarantined-in-india

[Kassy]

10 new cases take India's swine flu tally to 193

New Delhi, July 12 : Ten people were Sunday confirmed to be suffering from swine flu, taking India's tally to 193, even as 113 of them have been discharged, the health ministry said in a statement.

Ten new laboratory-confirmed cases have been reported from Delhi (3), Bangalore (2), Kozhikode (1), Mumbai (1) and Pune (3), it said.

Pointing out that 1,145 people have been tested so far of which 193 are positive for Influenza A H1N1 (Swine), the ministry said 348 out of these 1,145 people were identified through entry screening, 39 through contact tracing and the rest had reported themselves.

Of the 193 positive cases, 133 have been discharged and the rest remain admitted to the identified health facilities, it said.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has reported 94,512 laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza A/H1N1 infection from 135 countries as on July 6 and there have been 429 deaths, the statement added.

http://www.newkerala.com/nkfullnews-1-72051.html

[Kassy]

8 new swine flu cases in Hyderabad

HYDERABAD: India's tally of swine flu cases crossed 200 Monday as eight people here were confirmed to be suffering from influenza A (H1N1), officials said.

There was a sudden spurt in swine flu cases here as health authorities Monday confirmed eight new cases, taking the city's tally to 31.

Six of the new cases contracted the virus from a software engineer who arrived here from Houston July 5. The eighth confirmed case is a two-and-half-year old boy who came from Dubai.

Samples of all the eight were sent to the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD), New Delhi, where they tested positive.

According to the state coordinator for swine flu K. Subhakar, all the infected people have been admitted to Andhra Pradesh Chest Hospital, the nodal centre for swine flu here.

He said the software engineer did not approach the Chest Hospital till July 9 despite having swine flu symptoms.

"Meanwhile, six other people who came in contact with him contracted the virus," said Subhakar.

This is the first time that such a large number of cases in the city have tested positive for swine flu in one day.

With this, the number of patients undergoing treatment for the disease at the Chest Hospital rose to 11. Doctors said 20 people were discharged after treatment during the last two months.

Meanwhile, three people who reached here from Sharjah and were found to be displaying visible symptoms of swine flu have been kept under observation at the

Chest Hospital. Their throat and nasal samples were sent to NICD for tests.

With the latest swine flu cases here, the tally of swine flu patients countrywide has crossed 200. According to the health ministry, 133 people have been discharged, while the remaining are undergoing treatment at various hospitals.

http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=8+new+swine+flu+cases+in+Hyderaba d&artid=Tl4GUN|J0UY=

[Kassy]

India's swine flu tally crosses 200

Last Updated : 14 Jul 2009 01:05:34 AM IST

NEW DELHI: Nineteen new swine flu cases, including a two-year-old boy, were reported Monday, taking India's tally of influenza A (H1N1) infected people to 212 so far, the health ministry said. Seven of the fresh cases are "secondary infections" - due to contact with infected people who arrived from abroad.

"Nineteen new laboratory confirmed cases have been reported today - Delhi (6), Hyderabad (8), Ahmedabad (2), Thiruvananthapuram (1), Mumbai (1) and Pune (1)," a ministry statement said. In Hyderabad, six of the eight cases are secondary infections.

The six cases in Delhi are from a group of three families that had returned from a tour of Singapore and Malaysia.

"Six of eight cases in Hyderabad are social contacts. None among them have travel history," the ministry said. The remaining two are a 26-year-old male, who arrived in Hyderabad after travelling from Los Angeles via Dubai, while the second is a two-year-old boy who arrived in the city from Dubai and was detected at the airport screening.

The two cases in Ahmedabad are of a 17-year-old girl who was among a group of 40 children returning from the US, and the second a 45-year-old woman who did not go abroad but travelled with the student group from Delhi to Ahmedabad as a counsellor.

The Pune case is also of a 17-year-old girl, part of the same student's group returning from the US.

The lone case in Mumbai is of a nine-year-old girl who arrived from London via Munich. She was detected at the airport screening and admitted to a health facility. The case from Thiruvananthapuram is of a 43-year-old woman.

So far, 1,205 people have been tested in India, of whom 212 tested positive for Influenza A H1N1. Of the 1,205 people, 358 were identified at entry screening, 52 through contact, and the rest were self reported, the ministry informed.

Of the 212 positive cases, 133 have been discharged. The rest are being treated at identified health facilities.

The World Health Organization has reported 94,512 laboratory confirmed cases of influenza A(H1N1) from 135 countries. There have been 429 deaths so far.

http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Indias+swine+flu+tally+crosses+20 0&artid=DbxAjvg|Tmw=

[Kassy]

secondary infections.

Finally got rid of that 'H2H transfer' lingo...

[noeyedeer]

Thank You, Kassy

[Kassy]

Swine flu toll reaches 229

IANS
First Published : 14 Jul 2009 08:45:13 PM IST
Last Updated :

NEW DELHI: India on Tuesday reported 17 new swine flu cases, taking the total number of people infected with the influenza A(H1N1) virus to 229 while a whopping number of 88 are in hospitals, a health ministry official said Tuesday.

"So far, about 1,246 people have been tested, of whom 229 are positive for Influenza A(H1N1). Out of the total people tested for the virus, 370 were identified through airport screening," the official said.

"Of the 229 positive cases, 141 have been discharged. Rest of them - 88 people - remain admitted to the identified health facility," a health ministry statement said.

The 17 new cases have been reported from Chennai (6), Ahmedabad (1), Pune (1), Hyderabad (3) Kolkata (2), Thiruvananthapuram (2), Delhi (1), and Bangalore (1).

Health officials said most of the swine flu cases detected Tuesday are children who had returned from a yearlong study tour in the US.

The children had travelled by American Airlines and had reached Delhi July 4 and after staying here for three days, they flew off to their homes.

In Chennai, of the six cases reported, four are of those children who had gone for the study tour.

A total of 40 children had gone under the yearlong exchange programme through an NGO and had traveled back to India from Chicago.

These children belong to Maharashtra (9), Gujarat (18), Karnataka (1), Tamil Nadu (7) and Delhi (5).

One child who tested positive for the flu transmitted the virus to his grandmother in Chennai, officials said here.

In Ahmedabad, a person who came in contact with a US-returned child tested positive for the flu, was found to be infected with the virus. In Pune, one of the children from the same US returned group was tested positive for the swine flu.

Last week, in Ahmedabad two people belonging to the group of 40 had tested positive for the flu.

In Kolkatta, a 45-year-old man and his 10-year-old daughter tested positive for the flu. They had come from London via Delhi and reached Kolkata July 11.

In Thiruvananthapuram, a nine-year old boy and a seven-year-old girl tested positive for the swine flu. Their mother had earlier been found infected with the virus.

http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Swine+flu+toll+reaches+229&artid=U7lnkg|/x2w=

[Kassy]

Google closes Indian centre hit by Swine flu case

Google closes Indian HQ hit by Swine flu case

Google has closed its Indian headquarters in Hyderabad for two days after a worker tested positive for the virus.

According to a report in the Indian Express the internet giant sent about 100 people home.

The centre will reopen tomorrow.

A Google statement said: "As a precautionary measure, we have closed the office concerned in Hyderabad for two days, starting July 14, and are taking all necessary steps, including sanitising of common areas, to protect our employees."

http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2009/07/15/236901/google-closes-indian-centre-hit-by-swine-flu-case.htm

[Kassy]

Thursday, July 16, 2009 4:05 AM IST


Swine flu case: Toll rises to 251



NEW DELHI: Twenty-two new cases of swine flu, highest in a day so far, were reported Wednesday in India taking to 251 the number of total confirmed cases of the influenza A(H1N1), which the World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared as "unstoppable" virus.

According to the health ministry, the new laboratory confirmed cases were reported from Delhi (7), Jalandhar (4), Cochin (2), Thiruvananthapuram (2), Mumbai (2), Pune (2), Hyderabad (1), Ahmedabad (1) and Bangalore (1).

According to the union health ministry, so far 1,293 persons have been tested, of whom 251 were positive for Influenza A(H1N1). Of these 251 positive cases, 141 have been discharged. The remaining 110 of them are admitted to the identified health facilities.

Five of the seven freshly confirmed cases in Delhi belong to one family and were among the group who returned from Malaysia. Another case from the group is a 45-year-old man and the seventh case is a 38-year-old man who travelled from Bangkok to New Delhi, a health ministry statement said.

The four cases from Jalandhar are from one family - a 45-year-old man, his wife and their eight-year-old daughter and three-year-old son. They had returned from San Francisco, US.

The four Kerala cases include two sisters who returned from Manchester, Britain, a 39-year-old man who travelled from Germany via Dubai, and a 60-year-old woman who contracted the disease through secondary infection.

The two cases from Mumbai are a seven-year-old old boy who travelled from Hong Kong and the second is a 26-year-old man who travelled from Jakarta, Indonesia, to Mumbai.

The two cases from Pune - a boy of 12 and a girl of the same age - are indigenous cases who contracted the disease in their school from other students who returned from the US and tested positive.

A 24-year-old man from Hyderabad who travelled from San Francisco has also tested positive.

From Bangalore, a 17-year-old girl who travelled from New York has tested positive and the solitary case reported from Ahmedabad is a 14-year-old girl, without any travel history.

http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Swine+flu+case:+Toll+rises+to+251&artid=iACyBG2CiiI=

[Kassy]

Seven kids among nine new swine flu cases, tally 260

New Delhi, July 16 : Nine people, including seven children, were detected with swine flu, taking the total number of influenza A (H1N1) cases to 260 so far in the country, health officials said Thursday.

'So far 1,354 people have been tested, of whom 260 have tested positive for influenza A (H1N1),' a statement issued here said.

'Of the 260 positive cases, 159 have been discharged. The rest remain admitted to the identified health facility,' it said.

The nine confirmed cases reported Thursday were two each from Delhi, Gurgaon and Hyderabad and one each from Bangalore, Dehradun and Mumbai.

Officials said one of the cases in Delhi is of a six-year old boy, who travelled from Chicago by American Airlines and reached Delhi July 9. He exhibited the flu symptoms only on July 15 and was admitted to hospital.

The other case is of a 12-year-old boy, who had travelled from Newark in the US and reached Delhi on July 14. He was detected with flu symptoms at the airport and was admitted to hospital.

On Thursday, Sardar Patel Vidyalaya in Lodhi Estate shut down Section A of its Class 9 for a week after a student tested positive for the influenza A(H1N1), said the school management Thursday.

The school took the decision after a girl's parents informed the school that she has been tested positive for the swine flu.

'As a precautionary measure we have decided to shut the class section. We have asked all her classmates to report to the hospital if they show flu like symptoms,' the school management said.

The school has also collected the names and addresses of students who travelled in the school bus along with the girl.

'Students have been distributed leaflets about do's and don'ts related to swine flu and a list of nearest government health facility available to handle swine flu,' said the mother of a Class 6 student of the school.
In Gurgaon, two girls, nine and 13 years - both of who had returned from Edinburgh, tested positive for the swine flu.
In Hyderabad, of the two cases, one 13-year-old boy, tested positive for the flu. The boy had come to Hyderabad from
Australia via Kuala Lumpur.

A 19-year-old boy from Dehradun tested positive for the virus Thursday, officials said.

In Mumbai, a 17-year-old boy who had come from Britain, was detected with the virus.

Health officials said there is no need to panic and no need to close schools or institutions before anyone is detected with the flu.

--- IANS

http://www.newkerala.com/nkfullnews-1-74689.html

[Kassy]

Six new swine flu cases surface

New Delhi, July 17 : Six more people reported swine flu like symptoms in different parts of the country on Friday.

Atul Uniyal, 19, who recently returned from Malaysia, has been quarantined in the isolation ward of the Doon Hospital in Dehradun.

The blood samples of the person were sent to National Institute of Communicable Disease (NICD) in New Delhi for analysis and he tested positive.

'The patient who had come from Malaysia was admitted to our hospital on July 14. He showed the symptoms of swine flu and from the same day he was quarantined. He is being given Tamiflu. Yesterday we got a report from NICD, which is positive. After this he is getting his therapeutic treatment. The patient has recovered 90 per cent and we hope he will fully recover in another two to three days,' said Dr. R K Pande, Chief Medical Superintendent, Doon Hospital.

Family members and others who would have come in contact with him have been administered preventive medicines.

Meanwhile, five children of a Pune school have also been isolated.

All five children are students of eighth standard at the Abhinava Vidyalaya English Medium School, and they acquired the flu virus from their US returned schoolmate.

'The child went to school on July 9 and10. He transmitted the virus to four more students in the school. In all, a total of five cases are from the school. All of them are admitted to our hospital. We are treating them by administering Tamiflu twice a day. They are recovering well,' said Dr. Siddharth Astute, physician, Dr. Naidu Hospital for Communicable Diseases.

As a precautionary measure, the school management has closed the concerned class till further notice.

'As a precautionary measure they (doctors) have suggested that this particular class of VIII standard (students) should remain at home for the next one week. There's nothing to worry about, nothing to get confused or panicked. Second action we took immediately was that we have spread the news and information to all the parents by meetings or circulars, telling them not to worry but at the same time to be alert,' said Vitthal Chavan, Vice Chairman of the school.

The fresh five new cases detected in Pune on Friday (July 17) takes the total to 265.

--- ANI

http://www.newkerala.com/nkfullnews-1-75363.html

[Kassy]

17 more people detected with Swine flu; tally up to 285
Web posted at: 7/19/2009 0:52:51
Source ::: IANS

New Delhi: Seventeen people, including 14 children, were detected with the swine flu yesterday, taking the total influenza A (H1N1) virus cases in India to 285, health officials said.

The youngest to test positive for the virus is an 11-month-old boy.

“So far 1,506 people have been tested out of which 285 are positive for influenza A (H1N1). Of the 285 positive cases, 178 have been discharged,” a statement said here.

The 17 new confirmed cases were reported from Delhi (7), Pune (5), Cochin (2), Thiruvananthapuram (1), Kozhikode (1) and Goa (1).

The 11-month-old boy with swine flu is from Delhi. The child had travelled from New York to Delhi July 14. Two days later, he developed flu-like symptoms.

Two brothers, 14 and 10 years old, and two sisters, aged nine and two-and-a-half-years, also tested positive yesterday.

According to Anjana Prakash, additional nodal officer for swine flu with the Delhi government, 10 students were admitted at various identified health facilities with flu like symptoms. Of the total, four tested positive. The reports of six are awaited.

All these students are from four prestigious public schools in the national capital.

“We have reiterated to the school authorities to ensure that if any student shows flu-like symptoms the child should be immediately sent home,” she said.

“There is nothing to panic. But people need to be cautious,” Prakash said.

In Pune, all five cases, four girls and a boy all in their early teens, got the virus from infected persons.

In Kochi, one of the two cases is of a nine-year old boy. He had come from London July 17. And as he was suffering from fever and cough, he was taken to the identified facility. His test was positive for swine flu.

In Thiruvananthapuram, a 10-year-old girl, who travelled from Britain via Dubai, was found to be suffering from flu-like symptoms.

In Kozhikode, a 15-year-old girl was detected with swine flu, while in Goa, a 20-year-old man tested positive. 

http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=World_News&subsection=India&month=July2009&file=World_News2009071905251.xml

[Kassy]

Goa not doing enough for swine flu patients, says nodal officer

PANAJI: The Goa health department's
nodal officer for swine flu on Sunday alleged that the state health authorities were not cooperating with him
and not doing enough for quarantined patients. He says he would like to step down from the post.

Rajendra Tamba, the nodal officer who has been conducting regular media briefings ever since the first swine flu patient was identified in the state in June, said he had already written a letter to the state government, asking to be relieved.

"There is absolutely no cooperation from the health department. Now the three swine flu patients have to face a lot of inconveniences because of this slack attitude," Tamba said.

"I had asked for Rs 10 lakh (Rs 1 million) from the government for the swine flu programme a month ago. But not a single penny has been paid. When I asked the department to requisition a taxi to ferry a swine flu suspect's throat samples to the laboratory (Pune), the department insisted that we use public bus transport," Tamba said.

"Now the swine flu patients who have been quarantined are complaining about lack of facilities at the quarantine facility in Chicalim. I don't blame them because the department, despite repeated requests from me, is not doing anything about it. And this criticism is affecting the image of my office as nodal officer," he said.

Three swine flu patients are quarantined in Goa over the last one month. The director of the state health services was unavailable for comment.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS-City-Goa-Goa-not-doing-enough-for-swine-flu-patients-says-nodal-officer-/articleshow/4795483.cms

[Kassy]

India's swine flu cases go up to 308

NEW DELHI: India's swine flu cases continue to rise with 11 more people detected with influenza A (H1N1) virus Monday, taking the tally to 308 in the country.

"So far, 1,595 people have been tested so far, of whom 308 are positive for Influenza A virus," a statement issued here said.

Of the 308 positive cases, 183 have been discharged, it added. Children continue to test positive for the flu.

The 11 new confirmed cases have been reported from Delhi (4), Hyderabad (2), Pune (2), Cochin (2) and Chennai (1).

Of the four cases in Delhi, one is an 18-year-old boy, who had travelled from Singapore, and had reached the national capital July 9.

"He reported with symptoms of cough and sore-throat at the identified health facility July 18," it said. His test confirmed Monday that he has the flu.

Two girls - 17 years and 12 years - got the virus through a contact in a school in Delhi.

In Hyderabad, an eight-year-old girl, who travelled from London via Delhi, Jaipur and finally reached Hyderabad on July 15, tested positive for the flu.

The other case is of a 25-year-old man, who had come from London via Dubai, reaching Hyderabad on July 18, was found to be infected with the influenza.

In Pune, two cases were reported. Both are boys - 13 and 10 years - and got the virus through a person who had the flu earlier.

In Cochin, an 18-year-old girl, who travelled from London via Doha, reaching Cochin July 16, tested positive.

In Chennai, a 12-year-old girl, who travelled from London via Frankfurt, reaching Chennai July 16, tested positive for swine flu, officials said here.

http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Indias+swine+flu+cases+go+up+to+3 08&artid=Crc/bbMbQzY=

5 imported
4 local
2 unspecified

And i miss at least an update a day... :beer:

[noeyedeer]

India's swine flu cases go up to 308

5 imported
4 local
2 unspecified

And i miss at least an update a day... :beer:

No way they can even hope to control it now.

[Kassy]

No one can - it wasn't possible in the USA, the UK , Spain, Australia, Argentina or Chile and it's not possible for India with it's huge load of tourists and it's own traveling students and businessmen.

These are the first movements - test sick passengers to find flu. Find it in contacts.

Next it's out in the community - widespread in schools, popping up in other places where lot's of people gather. Most cases are mild so most are missed.

Then it catches hold. It seems to like really big cities (continuing to do well in NY , Detroit, London, Buenas Aires etc) but it can reach epidemic level in smaller towns at the same time.

Then the pattern in severe illness and deaths varies over places.

India is still in the first stage though.

[Kassy]

Swine flu patients progressing

Special Correspondent

VISAKHAPATNAM: Two patients of swine flu, a 25-year-old lady and her two-year-old niece, who are undergoing treatment at the separate ward for swine flu cases at the Government Hospital for Chest and Communicable Diseases here, are progressing and are likely to be discharged in a couple of days.

This was stated by District Medical and Health Officer J. Sarojini here on Wednesday. The lady had come from the US and the girl from Dubai and tested positive for swine flu.

Three other members of the family are under home quarantine.

The two confirmed cases were noticed after the DMHO office and KGH doctors treated a 12-year-old girl with suspected swine flu under home quarantine last month.

Regarding steps to be taken to identify the swine flu patients on their arrival in the city,

Dr. Sarojini said the idea of keeping a team of doctors at the airport was being discussed but it should also be noticed that there were no direct international flights to the city.

However, she was discussing with Superintendent of King George Hospital to arrange a team of doctors at the airport when direct flights from Russia were expected to land here from July 24 to 26.

With rains being experienced in the Visakha Agency area, steps were being taken to prevent and treat fevers, Dr. Sarojini said. RD kits were supplied to the interior villages also to conduct malaria tests.

Treatment for positive cases would be started immediately.



http://www.hindu.com/2009/07/23/stories/2009072354080300.htm

[Kassy]

India records 322 swine flu cases so far

Health 7/22/2009 12:52:00 PM


NEW DELHI, July 22 (KUNA) -- India's Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on Wednesday confirmed that so far 322 swine flu cases have been detected in the country, and declared that the situation was under control as there has not been a single death.
According to him, there is no dearth of drugs as "ten million Tamiflu doses have already been distributed across the country." Speaking in Indian Parliament's lower house Lok Sabha (House of Peoples), he said out of the total 322 cases, 234 have been treated and discharged from various hospitals across the country.
"This proves that swine flu is 100 per cent curable in so far as our country is concerned. We are lucky that there have been no deaths in our country," he said, and added that over 200 deaths have been reported each in the US and Mexico, besides many more in the UK and Japan.
He mentioned that out of the total 322 cases reported, 256 persons got infected abroad. "Of them, 111 cases came from the US, 32 from Australia, 15 from Thailand and some others from Canada, Germany and Singapore," he added.
Noting that almost 3,600,000 passengers were screened for H1N1 virus at entry points like airports so far, Azad said this was almost 45,000 passengers a day for the past two and a half months.
He further stated that those found infected were being quarantined in one major hospital in each state, and that the number of labs to check the virus has been increased from two to 18 now.

http://www.kuna.net.kw/NewsAgenciesPublicSite/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=2015708&Language=en

[Kassy]

Weird definition of control and only 'proof' in a political sense...

[CanadaSue]

1.many billion in population... most living in abject pverty with zero access to health care.

I'm not for a minute buying there aren't thousands of cases languishing in the boonies & a number of deaths.

[Mama Alanna]

Same here, Sue. If there's any cause of death on the certificate (do most areas of the country even file death certificates?) it's 'pneumonia' or 'fever'.

[Kassy]

3 more schools shut doors due to flu scare

Playgrounds and coaching classes in Pune’s Kothrud and Erandwane areas wore a deserted look on Friday as reports of more swine flu cases among students spread through phone calls and text messages.

Three more schools besides Abhinav English school formally decided to shut for eight days after two students from Symbiosis and one each from Seva Sadan and Abhinav Marathi School tested positive for swine flu. With this, the total number of cases in Pune stands at 36, 19 of who are students of Abhinav English school.

Several coaching classes and playgrounds saw less attendance with many parents deciding to protect their children from public contact. “About 50 students attend my classes everyday, only 20 were present on Friday”, said Ragini Apte, private coaching class coordinator.

The hospitals, where swine flu treatment is being given, saw an unusual rush. Both Naidu and Yashwantrao hospitals were flooded with students and their parents.

“More than 100 persons came to get themselves checked after the swine flu reports,” said the warden at Naidu hospital.

The cases among students from Abhinav Marathi, Symbiosis and Seva Sadan were reported after they came in contact with their friends from Abhinav English School, health authorities from Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) said.

The PMC chief health officer R.R. Pardeshi said, “We have instructed all the students from the four schools to strictly stay at home and avoid all the public contact.”

Considering the rapid spread of the swine flu in Pune, the centre’s health department has sent additional supply of medicines to Naidu hospital and Yashwantrao Chavan hospital. The medical authorities have also begun quarantine operations in all the four schools and the rickshaws in which students ply.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?sectionName=NLetter&id=90abaf05-9d46-4a22-ba11-f06b0edebf74&Headline=3+more+schools+shut+doors+due+to+flu+scar e

[Kassy]

59 swine flu cases in State

HYDERABAD: Cases of A (H1N1) influenza flu virus continue to get reported from the Capital. On Sunday, authorities confirmed one more swine flu positive case. A five-year-old-boy, a close contact of an earlier flu positive patient, has tested positive, doctors of Government Chest Hospital, Erragadda informed. The total swine flu cases have now increased to 59 in the State, out of which 55 have been reported from Hyderabad and four from Visakhapatnam. Out of 55 flu patients, 50 have been discharged from Chest Hospital. Authorities informed that two flu positive patients in Visakhapatnam have been discharged while two more would be discharged by Sunday night.

Presently, four persons, with suspected swine flu symptoms are waiting for the test results from National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD), New Delhi.

http://www.hindu.com/2009/07/27/stories/2009072753880400.htm

[Kassy]

17 students of boarding school catch swine flu after US visit

Press Trust Of India
Pune, July 27, 2009


Seventeen students from a boarding school in the hill station of Panchgani who had visited the US recently for an educational programme have tested positive for swine flu, health officials said on Monday.

These students of St Peters School in the neighbouring Satara district developed symptoms of the virus on their return to Panchgani.

Satara district health officer Vijay Mohite told PTI that blood samples of the students were sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) here and tests confirmed H1N1 infection.

The students were quarantined in the boarding school premises and responding to the treatment, Mohite said
http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?sectionName=NLetter&id=1f7d9ad2-75e5-4079-a0d2-12e0cf7a2ac5&Headline=17+students+of+boarding+school+catch+swin e+flu

[Kassy]

Swine flu cases in India rises to 454


NEW DELHI: At least 25 people were detected with influenza A H1N1) virus on Monday taking the total number of swine flu cases in the country to
454, a health official said.

"About 2,077 people have been tested so far, of which 454 are positive for Influenza A(H1N1). Of the 454 positive cases, 311 have been discharged. Rest are admitted in hospitals," said a statement issued here by the union health ministry.

Pune reported eight cases, Delhi seven while in Chennai four cases were detected.

Although there was no official confirmation till late evening from the union health ministry, sources said all the cases reported in Pune are children who had returned from the US.

Hyderabad had three cases, while Bangalore, Chandigarh and Patiala in Punjab reported one case each.

In Delhi, three people who had come from Singapore tested positive while two were those who contracted the virus from the flu patients. The rest of the cases were of those who had returned from abroad.

Of the four cases in Chennai, two members of a family - 37-year-old woman and an eight-year-old girl - were found to be infected with the virus Monday.

In Hyderabad, one of the cases is of a 30-year-old woman, who had contracted the virus from a person who had the flu earlier.

The lone case in Bangalore is of a 28-year-old man who also got it through a person detected positive with the virus.

In Patiala, a 23-year-old man, who had visited Bangkok, tested positive.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS/India/Swine-flu-cases-in-India-rises-to-454/articleshow/4827056.cms

[Kassy]

Swine flu: 16 more cases

Staff Reporter

Mumbai: Sixteen more patients tested positive in Pune for swine flu on Tuesday (12) and Wednesday (4), taking the total to 76 as on Wednesday night.

The head of Maharashtra’s swine flu cell, Pradeep Awate, said: “We had earlier thought that 16 people from Panchgani had tested positive; it was later discovered that actually only 10 had. So the figure for Maharashtra now stands at 106.”

The virus has spread to three more schools in Pune. — Bal Shikshan Mandir and Springdale and Anna Saheb Patil Vidyalaya. Fifty-five of the 106 people in the State and 36 out of the 76 in Pune have been discharged from hospitals.

http://www.hindu.com/2009/07/30/stories/2009073061151300.htm

[Kassy]

Swine flu on the rise in Maharashtra

Pravda Godbole / Mumbai/ Pune July 30, 2009, 0:08 IST


The respiratory influenza disease, swine flu or the H1N1 flu which has put scientists and doctors worldwide in a quandary is on the rise in the state.

In the state of Maharashtra itself the number reportedly has gone up to 108 as of Wednesday evening. With over 72 cases of the flu confirmed from Pune itself, as many as six primary and secondary schools have been shut as around 53 out of the 72 cases have been identified in kids.

Panchgani, a hill station close to the city which houses many residential schools has declared around 10 positive cases putting government officials in the fifth gear who will take a round up of the schools.

Also, apparently Mumbai has registered close to 19 cases of the flu.

Dr Pradip Awate, who heads the state influenza cell, though reiterates the fact that there is no reason to panic. “Even though the number of cases is soaring, the infection is so mild that it is difficult to differentiate between a patient and a normal person. We have launched public educating missions through newspaper advertisements, radio spots and television channels about the Do’s and Dont’s. We have issued letters to the district level officers too to spread the word,” he told Business Standard.

Even though, the infection is mild what is the possibility that it can become worse? “The chances are very bleak. Five out of a thousand cases may be grave. That makes the mortality rate close to 0.4 per cent,” he added.

http://www.business-standard.com/india/storypage.php?autono=365303

[Kassy]

India's swine flu cases-tally is now 509

India continues to report fresh swine flu cases with 11 people including six children being detected with the virus Thursday, taking the total number to 509, health officials said here.

At least '2,326 people have been tested so far out of which 509 are positive for Influenza A. Of the 509 positive cases, 365 have been discharged,' said an official statement issued here.

The new cases were reported from Delhi -, Pune -, Kozhikode -, Cochin -, and Hyderabad -.

In Delhi, out of the four cases, three people, including two children aged 12, contracted the virus from a person who had the flu.

In Pune, all the three cases - all 11-year-olds - got the virus through those who had the flu. The same was reported in Hyderabad where a five-year-old boy contracted the virus.

As more swine flu cases continue to pour in, the government announced that two new health facilities, including the All India Institute of Medical Sciences -, will also conduct the tests.

'We have not stopped the H1N1 testing as yet. Apart from the National Institute of Communicable Diseases, two other institutes including AIIMS have been equipped to carry tests too,' Health Secretary Naresh Dayal said.

The other institute is the Patel Chest institute in the capital.

http://www.rxpgnews.com/medicalnews/Indias-swine-flu-cases-tally-is-now-509_179366.shtml

[Kassy]

India reports first swine flu death in pandemic Pune

New Delhi/Pune, Aug 3 : Days after Pune was declared a pandemic city for swine flu, <= Didn't mention that in the updates, nevermind...

a 14-year-old girl succumbed to the virus there Monday - making it India's first death due to influenza A(H1N1). The girl was suffering from the flu for over a fortnight and died due to 'delayed treatment', health officials said.

Meanwhile, seven more people tested positive for the flu Monday, taking the total number of cases to 558 in the country. Of these, 470 patients have been discharged after treatment. About 2,479 people have been tested so far.

Confirming news of the death, union Health Secretary Naresh Dayal said in New Delhi that the girl was given anti-flu medicine at a very late stage.

'It appears she was treated late. If she had been treated earlier, she could have been saved,' Dayal told a news channel. 'It is a matter of concern,' he added.

'The deceased patient, Riya Shaikh, had been admitted to Jehangir Hospital, a private hospital, July 21. As per preliminary information, she passed away this evening,' a health official in Pune told IANS.

Pune, which has already become the country's swine-flu capital, notched 102 patients Monday, of whom 86 are children, mostly school students, he said.

The girl had consulted a general practitioner when she first reported flu-like symptoms - sore throat, runny nose, headache - on July 21. When her condition improved, she joined school on July 23.

'She again developed fever on July 25, for which she consulted another private practitioner. Her fever continued and she was admitted to a private nursing home in Pune July 27,' according to a health ministry statement.

Her condition worsened and she was shifted to the ICU and put on the ventilator on July 29. 'The patient's lung aspirate was sent to the NIV (National Institute of Virology) on July 31 and was tested positive for swine flu.'

She was put on Oseltamivir or Tamiflu on July 30. 'Her condition deteriorated again with multi-system involvement and she expired on the evening of August 3,' the statement said.

Health officials are flummoxed how a serious patient of H1N1 could remain under treatment in a private hospital and are inquiring whether the case was notified to the authorities or not, especially since Pune had been declared a 'pandemic' city last month.

Dilip Bhan, divisional commissioner of Pune, maintained: 'We were not aware of the patient. She had taken private treatment. People should not go to private hospitals and instead get themselves admitted to government hospitals.'

'After the death we have all become very conscious and alert. We are taking every precautionary measure to ensure that no more deaths take place,' he added

The health ministry said the Pune hospital staff, including three doctors and a nurse, who had treated the girl and had developed respiratory symptoms were being treated with Oseltamivir.

'About 85 other hospital contacts have been put on prophylaxis, while 31 contacts, including 11 family contacts, have also been put on chemoprophylaxis,' it added.

Dayal said they have already issued guidelines regarding swine flu to schools as it is mostly affecting children.

Asked if the government has issued any guidelines of closing down the schools, he said: 'Guidelines are very clear. If a child is suffering from swine flu virus he should not come to school and get himself isolated. We have not recommended closing down of schools.'

He said they are monitoring the situation and would take action and review the situation following the girl's death.

Dayal also said the government has enough stock of anti-flu medicines and if the need arose they would be able to acquire more. Since Tamiflu is available only in select government hospitals, Dayal said the government would review the situation.

Most of the cases are being reported from the metros as the infected people were returning from foreign jaunts.

'(More cases) will happen,' he said, adding that at the time people return to India they do not exhibit symptoms of the flu, which has an incubation period of seven-10 days. 'The symptoms develop later,' Dayal said.

He added that one third of the people who test positive for swine flu are those identified at the entry point, while the rest are cases who report themselves later.

'The infection is largely from abroad and is mainly confined to cities. No case has been reported from rural areas,' he added.

Dayal stressed that testing for swine flu can't be done in private hospitals.

'Testing can't be done in every hospital lab. Certain care has to be taken while taking samples. The doctor or the technician has to wear protective gear. If it is not taken carefully, more people could be infected,' he added.

Asked if India has handled the swine flu cases properly, he said: 'We have handled it better than other countries. We have only one death from the virus.'

On Monday, seven positive cases were reported in the country - Delhi (2), Pune (3), Chennai (1) and Ahmedabad (1).

Health officials said an 11-year-old boy in Delhi contracted the virus from another person.

Pune continued to report swine flu, with three new cases, including two children. They contracted the virus in school.

In Chennai, an eight-year-old boy, who had arrived from Muscat on July 29, tested positive.

In Ahmedabad, a 27 year-old woman doctor who was on airport screening duty, reported with flu-like symptoms on July 30.

In Maharashtra, the number of cases rose to 147 Monday - with 102 in Pune, 20 in Mumbai, 23 in the hill-station of Panchgani, and two in Thane.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) till July 27, about 134,503 laboratory confirmed cases of influenza A (H1N1) have been reported. About 816 deaths have been reported, mostly from Mexico and the US.

--- IANS

http://www.newkerala.com/nkfullnews-1-85554.html

[Kassy]

Swine flu death shocks Pune health officials

PUNE: The death of a 14-year-old girl due to swine flu here Monday has shocked health officials at how a serious H1N1 patient could remain under private treatment for over a fortnight.

They are inquiring whether the case was notified to the authorities especially since Pune was been declared a pandemic city last month.

Meanwhile, the number of flu cases in Maharashtra rose to 147 - with 102 in Pune, 20 in Mumbai, 23 in the hill-station of Panchgani, and two in Thane.

"The deceased patient, Riya Shaikh, had been admitted to Jehangir Hospital, a private hospital, July 21. As per preliminary information, she passed away this evening," the official told IANS.

Of the 102 patients in Pune, as many as 86 are children, mostly school students, he said.

In the past six days alone, Pune recorded 36 cases, and the virus has spread to many more schools in the city, the official said.

Last week, the health authorities had shut down three Pune schools - Abhinav English Medium School, Seva Sadan High School and Symbiosis Primary & High School - after many students there were affected by the virus.

Similarly, the state and district health authorities had begun screening students in Panchganis's 16 top residential public schools after 16 students were detected with H1N1 symptoms.

While the Pune, authorities had ordered three worst-affected schools shut for a week, the students of St. Peters School in Panchgani were isolated when they displayed signs of recovery.

In the past one week, the swine-flu spread to more schools in Pune. They are: New India School (7 students hit), Bal Shikshan Mandir (7), Springdale High School (2), and one each in New English School, Vivekanand High School and Annasaheb Patil Vidyalaya (1).

The H1N1 virus spread quickly after one affected student returned from a trip to the US early July. His cousin contracted it and spread it among other students of Seva Sadan High School.

Ironically, last Tuesday, state Health Minister Rajendra Shingne had claimed that the virus was well under control in the state and there was "no cause for panic".

While all the victims in Pune have been quarantined in the Naidu Hospital here, the Mumbai victims are kept in quarantine at the Kasturba Hospital.

Unlike Pune, all the victims in Mumbai are adults who have a history of recent travel to and from major swine flu affected countries in Europe, South America and the US

http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Swine+flu+death+shocks+Pune+healt h+officials&artid=i9s7uJoeNng=

[CanadaSue]

I get the impression they want ALL cases in govt. hospitals thus, no Tami available elsewhere.

Foolish.

[Kassy]

Goa to invoke epidemic act to tackle swine flu

Goa will invoke the Epidemic control Act (ECA), 1897, to curb the spread of influenza A (H1N1) once the state's busy tourism season gets underway in October, Health Minister Vishwajeet Rane said Wednesday.

Rane's announcement comes barely a day after the Maharashtra government invoked the act in Pune and Satara districtS after a 14-year-old Pune schoolgirl died of swine flu.

"Maharashtra has invoked the act because there are thousands of international guests arriving at its (Mumbai) airport. We don't feel it is required for Goa at this moment. But once the tourist season starts we will put this act into effect," Rane told reporters here.

The epidemic act gives health authorities the power to forcibly admit and treat any swine flu patient at a government-run hospital.

"If this (swine flu) is not controlled worldwide, Goa will have to enforce the act once the tourist season starts," Rane said, adding that Goa receives tourists from all over the world, including from countries particularly affected by swine flu.

After the terror strikes in Mumbai last year eclipsed Goa's tourist season, the swine flu pandemic could possibly deplete the arrivals in 2009-10.

Goa receives nearly two million tourists in an average year, out of which about 400,000 are foreigners.

There are presently seven swine flu patients under quarantine in Goa.

Recently, the state nodal officer for swine flu Rajendra Tamba was transferred to a rural dispensary after he questioned the efficiency and the will of the state health department when it came to handling the swine flu outbreak.

http://www.mid-day.com/news/2009/aug/050809-goa-to-invoke-epidemic-act-to-tackle-swine-flu.htm

[Kassy]

Swine flu victim's Pune school reports one more case


PUNE: A student of the school where Rida Shaikh, India's first swine flu victim was studying was confirmed to have caught the A(H1N1) influenza
virus, an official said here.

The 15-year-old girl, a student of the St. Anne School, was admitted to the Naidu Hospital, the city's only government identified health facility for communicable diseases, and was put in isolation, Pune Municipal Corporation health officer S.R. Pardeshi said.

The central health ministry earlier said three patients were confirmed for swine flu in Pune - two children below 14 and a 52-year-old woman.

Shaikh, 14, died of swine flu on Monday. The city has been gripped by a panic with a large number of people thronging the government identified swine flu testing centre throughout Wednesday.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/city/pune/Swine-flu-victims-Pune-school-reports-one-more-case/articleshow/4860936.cms

[CanadaSue]

Their quarantine act will chase away tourists not reassure them.

[Mama Alanna]

Yep. At least the voluntary tourists. They might still get business travelers.

But would YOU go to China now? Or any other 'less-developed' country where they might slap you into quarantine in a roach motel?

[CanadaSue]

Not unless someone had a gun to my head or my continued employment depended upon such a trip - no freaking way.

[nia]

19 new swine flu cases in India, total 616

Pune: The capital reported 11 cases of swine flu and Pune eight taking the total number of infected people in the country to 616 on Thursday amid panic in the two cities for the second consecutive day with hundreds flocking testing centres for screening.

Nineteen laboratory-confirmed cases have been reported today: Delhi (11) and Pune (8), the health ministry said in a statement. Of the 616 positive cases, 487 have been discharged so far. One patient - Reeda Shaikh, a 14-year-old girl from Pune - died on Monday. The rest remain admitted to the identified health facilities, the ministry said.

Out of the 11 cases in Delhi, 10 are contact cases of previously reported positive cases. They have no travel history. The 11th case is a 25-year-old man who arrived here from Chicago July 28. He reported with symptoms on Wednesday and was found positive with the influenza A(H1N1) virus.

Out of the eight new cases in Pune, seven are indigenous and the eighth case is a 45-year-old woman who travelled from Frankfurt via Mumbai.

[snip]

http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?a=jihiQKgfjeb&title=19_new_swine_flu_cases_in_India_total_616

[Kassy]

Hajis seek preventive treatment against flu

Kozhikode: With a final decision of the Saudi Arabian authorities pending on the proposed age restriction for Haj pilgrims owing to concerns over the A (H1N1) flu pandemic, the State Haj committee has requested the government here to make necessary arrangements to provide preventive treatment against the flu to pilgrims before they set out on the journey.

State Haj Committee chairman P.T.A. Rahim told The Hindu on Thursday that the committee had requested the government to meet any emergency situation if the Saudi government insisted on a health certificate for the pilgrims.

According to him, the government had promised to help the pilgrims if the Saudi government insisted on a health certificate. “We are ready to deal with such a proposal,” said Mr. Rahim.

Saudi Health Ministry spokesman Khaled Al-Mirghalani on Wednesday was reported to have said that pilgrims from different countries would have to show proof of having taken flu shots from their respective countries.

Mr. Rahim said the central Haj committee, however, was yet to receive any such directive from the Saudi government making health certificate mandatory for pilgrims. “But we have proactively sought the authority’s help in anticipation of such a move from the Saudi government,” he said.

Mr. Rahim hoped that the Saudi authorities would not go ahead the suggestion of the Arab Health Ministers, taken at a recent conference in Cairo, to impose age restriction on Haj pilgrims this time. He said such a decision would cause several practical difficulties.

“With the proceedings, including sending of Haj applications already completed, what is practically possible at this juncture is to leave the responsibility of ensuring the pilgrims’ health to the respective State governments,” said Mr. Rahim.

A conference of Arab Health Ministers on July 22 in Cairo had agreed to put restrictions on certain categories of people, including children and the chronically ill, from making the Haj pilgrimage in an effort to contain the spread of A(H1N1) influenza.

The Saudi government, however, was yet to ratify the decision.
http://www.hindu.com/2009/08/08/stories/2009080856930300.htm

[Kassy]

Huge stocks of Tamiflu available: Expert

Backing rumours that the only available medicine for H1N1 influenza - Tamiflu tablets - is available in the black market in the City at an inflated price, R N Srinivasa Gowda, former vice-chancellor of Karnataka Veterinary Animal Husbandry and Fishery Sciences University, Bidar (KVAHFSU) has said that the same medicine was used for avian influenza (bird flu) in 2005 and 2007 and a huge stockpile of the medicine is still available in the Indian market.


Gowda, who was adviser to the High Security Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (HSDDL), Bhopal, during the bird flu outbreak said that Tamiflu was imported in large quantity during the flu outbreak and said that the drug might have entered the black market following the outbreak of swine flu.

“After the import, a circular was also issued to all the states regarding the availability of the drug. It has remained in the country as there is no chance of returning it,” he said.

He pointed out that once the drug arrives in the country, it cannot be returned because it is brought to meet any eventuality. “This being an emergency drug, any state facing the threat can draw. May be the existing drug might be from the affected areas of Maharashtra or North Eastern regions, including West Bengal, where the disease was rampant,” he said.
The drug has a shelf life of three to four years.

‘Tablets in market may be spurious’

Tamiflu, if any available in the market, must be spurious, according to I R Perumal, Principal Secretary, Health Department, reports DHNS from Bangalore.

The Centre is the sole supplier of Tamiflu to all the States. At present, Karnataka has a stock of 12,000 tablets and each district hospital has 100 tablets. There absolutely is no shortage of the tablet, he said.

“Each patient is supposed to take only two tablets a day. The treatment lasts for seven days. This means a patient requires just 14 tablets. There is no question of shortage when we have a stock of 10,000 tablets. Why will anyone buy the medicine in black market? People cannot take Tamiflu as a preventive measure since the medicine acts only when a person is affected by the virus. There is no point in stocking the medicine in advance,” the officer said. The tablet costing Rs 43.55 each is supplied to the patients free of cost, he disclosed. Perumal said that of the 376 samples drawn till date from April 28, 55 have tested positive for H1N1. While 52 patients have been discharged after treatment, three patients are still under treatment.

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/18472/huge-stocks-tamiflu-available-expert.html

[Kassy]

India reports second swine flu death, 783 infected


New Delhi/Mumbai, Aug 8 : A 53-year-old woman in Mumbai Saturday became India's second swine flu victim in a week as the influenza A(H1N1) virus continued to spread across the country, infecting 71 new patients including an NRI couple and a number of doctors.

With the new cases, the total number of people infected by the contagious virus has reached 783, the health ministry said.

The woman, identified as Fehmida Panwala, a Mumbai resident, died at Kasturba hospital, Maharashtra's Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Sharvari Gokhale told IANS in Mumbai.

A resident of Jogeshwari suburb in northwest Mumbai, Panwala was Tuesday admitted to a hospital near her residence for treatment of diabetes and hypertension.

On Friday, she was shifted to the Lilavati Hospital for a few hours. Her condition worsened and she was rushed to the Kasturba Hospital in the evening. Her sample was taken Saturday morning and she was diagnosed with influenza A(H1N1) in the afternoon.

Health ministry officials in Delhi said Panwala was referred from a private hospital to an identified government health facility in Mumbai on the night of Aug 7 with acute respiratory distress.

She tested positive in the afternoon and expired at about 4.30 p.m., they said.

This is India's second swine flu death after 14-year-old Reeda Shaikh, 14, became India's first swine flu victim when she died in Pune Monday.

The health ministry said that of the 71 fresh cases, Pune recorded 34, Delhi 13, Mumbai two, Bangalore 10, Chennai seven, Mangalore three and Amritsar and Faridabad one each.

Among the states, Maharashtra is the worst affected with over 260 cases. Pune accounts for the majority of them.

'A central team has been deputed today (Saturday) to Pune to assess the situation and institute appropriate public health measures,” the health ministry said.

In Pune, a medico and a pharmacist, both positive cases of swine flu, continued to be critical for the second day Saturday at the Sassoon Hospital.

'They are both on ventilators and their condition is causing concern,' said Pradeep Awate, head of the state Swine Flu Control Room.

In Mumbai, 28-year-old businessman Sandeep Gaikwad, who was admitted to the Hiranandani Hospital after developing swine flue symptoms last week, turned critical Friday and was put on a ventilator.

An non-resident Indian couple who arrived in Ahmedabad from the US last month tested positive for swine flu Saturday.

'The NRI couple who had arrived from Atlanta on July 31 initially went to a private hospital thinking it was a common cough and cold problem. They were referred to the government civil hospital on Aug 5,' the senior doctor of the civil hospital said.

'The condition of the man remained critical during Aug 5-7 and he was on a ventilator which was removed today after his condition was found to be stable,' he said.

In Delhi where hundreds of people flocked to testing centres, at least two doctors were home-quarantined with suspected swine flu.

“I am now home-quarantined for two days,' S.K. Sharma, chief medical officer of the swine flu detection centre at the government-run Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) hospital, told IANS.

'We are too much exposed to the virus as we spend over 12 hours in the testing centre. My sample has been sent for tests and the result will come in 48 hours,' he said.

In Kolkata two doctors, Ranjit Mandal and Prashanta Sarkar, were admitted to the Infectious Diseases (ID) hospital with symptoms of swine flu. They had fever, cough and cold.

'Their samples have been sent for testing,' the state health department's nodal officer for swine flu Tapas Sen told IANS.
Bihar and Uttar Pradesh also reported their first swine flu suspects Saturday.

In Pune, except for one case, all new cases are indigenous, most of them social or school contacts.

One among the two cases reported in Mumbai is a six-year-old girl who had travelled from London.

Of the 13 cases in Delhi, two have a travel history. The case admitted in the identified health facility in Faridabad is a 33-year-old man who travelled from Italy. The case from Amritsar is a 26-year-old man who travelled from Dubai and was identified during screening at Delhi airport.

Of the seven cases in Chennai, three are travel-related cases. All 10 cases reported from Bangalore are indigenous. One case reported in Mangalore is a contact of the earlier reported positive case admitted in the same city. The other two had travelled to that city from Delhi and Hyderabad.

--- IANS

http://www.newkerala.com/nkfullnews-1-88787.html

[Kassy]

Kasturba wears sombre look as people queue up

Kartikeya & Pratibha Masand, TNN 9 August 2009, 03:22am IST


MUMBAI: For many on Saturday, coming to Kasturba Hospital for the swine flu screening test was a lot like going on a pilgrimage. It began with a
long journey, often for the entire family, from every possible corner of Mumbai and around-places as far away as Panvel, Malad and Ambernath. Taxi drivers who ferried the people to the hospital refused to wait for too long outside the gates. "We don't want the infection,'' they snapped before snatching the money and driving away as fast as possible in a bid to outrun the H1N1 virus.

Thus the first ritual before entering the hospital premises is always to buy a mask from a chemist across the road. The rudimentary 19-rupee mask made of tissue paper is a must-have. It acts as a placebo and comforts the wearer into thinking that he has become absolutely invincible against any swine flu that might be lingering in the air.

As is the case with all holy treks, people have to stand in a long queue which takes several hours to reach the sanctum sanctorum, where doctors sit asking questions and taking swab samples. Tired of standing, scores of people who came for the screening, flopped down on the sprawling lawns of the hospital. Many others sat in nooks in the corridors of the century-old buildings where they spoke in hushed tones to friends and relatives while awaiting their turn to see the doctors. The overall mood remained sombre, broken only by frequent bouts of coughing or a burst of music from a youngster's mobile phone.

"We were sent here by a private physician who suspected symptoms of H1N1 in us,'' said a man, whose entire family was suffering from cough and fever. While he spoke, his little daughter pulled off her mask and tried to run. Her older brother dutifully chased her down and made her put on the mask again. "It gets so hot and sweaty under this mask but we cannot risk taking it off as it is the only protection against the virus,'' the man explained.

For the last hour in the queue before they get to meet the eight-odd doctors sitting in a large room, the people who have come for screening have to crowd into a dimly lit open corridor covered with ancient mosquito netting. "It is hot and dark in here,'' said Megh, a student from an acting school. "This looks like an ideal place for the H1N1 virus to spread. As it is, people's immunity is low from the cough and cold, and then we all stand so close to one another for hours. Those who have swine flu will simply give it to the others. Sab ulta ho jayega. I am going to run away from here,'' he declared from behind a handkerchief that he had tied around his face. As if to be doubly sure, he also had a mask above it.

Three days ago, Megh, like many others, had a panic attack when he developed high fever and cough. "Thankfully it turned out to be simple viral fever and I recovered. However, my friend, Rishi, complained of the same symptoms on Friday and I brought him here for screening. Now I am sure that had I come here for the test I would have gone back with the virus,'' he said.

Even as the doctors struggled to deal with swine flu suspects who had already registered themselves for the testing, more and more people kept pouring in. There was a child in his school uniform, a couple who stepped out of an expensive car and bent old ladies who'd covered their mouths with the end of their saris.

People from every walk and class came in and stood patiently in the ever-lengthening queue, exchanging notes about the screening procedure from behind the common anonymity of their newly purchased masks

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/city/mumbai/Kasturba-wears-sombre-look-as-people-queue-up/articleshow/4872447.cms

[CanadaSue]

If these conditions for exam are typical across parts of the country screening/testing... this is about to get very, very bad.

[caonacl]

Delhi readies guidelines on home quarantine for swine flu

New Delhi: The Delhi government Sunday prepared guidelines for home quarantine to tackle the swine flu outbreak in the national capital and stressed there was no need to panic or for schools to close down.

"We advise the people not to create panic and follow instructions issued by the health authorities. The parents and school authorities have also been asked to educate children about the signs and symptoms of H1N1 influenza to avoid panic," Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit told reporters.

In Delhi, so far 278 people have tested positive for the influenza A(H1N1) virus.

There are 14 testing centres in Delhi of which 11 are run by the Delhi government, two by the central government and one is at a municipal hospital.

Around 178 people have been discharged from these centres while 58 are still undergoing treatment.

Briefing the media after an emergency cabinet meeting called to discuss the swine flu outbreak that has claimed four lives in the country, Dikshit said the government has commissioned a helpline number, 011-23921401, to provide information on swine flu.

"We have appointed a state level nodal officer and an additional nodal officer to effectively coordinate the issues related to the H1N1 influenza," Dikshit added.

Delhi chief secretary Rakesh Mehta told IANS that the government will soon issue "guidelines on home quarantine" to tackle looming the swine flu spread.

"We will be issuing guidelines on home quarantine...just like malaria and other communicable diseases are tackled for the swine flu, we are advising that those with flu symptoms should not take prophylactis (preventive medicines) without consulting doctors. In addition, we suggest that those whose relatives are showing any symptoms of the flu should wear three-layer masks at home as well," Mehta explained.

He added: "The government is not advising that schools be shut down at all. They (schools) have been advised to discuss with the directorate of education that has a set of guidelines ready."

With swine flu infecting more and more people, schools in Delhi are doing all they can to contain the spread of the virus among students. Schools like south Delhi's Sanskriti School have closed for the week till Aug 17, others are sending back students with the slightest symptoms.

Mehta also said if the present centres prove to be ineffective, "the government would prepare a list of more state-run centres, but private hospitals are not being considered so far."

http://www.samaylive.com/news/delhi-readies-guidelines-on-home-quarantine-for-swine-flu/645149.html

[Kassy]

82 fresh swine flu cases

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: The Union Health Ministry said 82 fresh swine flu cases were reported from across the country on Sunday, with the maximum of 34 coming from Pune. The break-up of those tested positive to the A(H1N1) virus is: Delhi (13), Mumbai (12), Chennai (7), Goa (4), Vadodara (3), Kozhikode (2), Hyderabad (2), Gurgaon (2), Thiruvananthapuram (1), Sirsa in Haryana (1) and Thrissur (1).

All the 34 cases in Pune are indigenous ones, mostly schoolchildren. In Mumbai, 11 are indigenous cases, while the 12th patient is an 8-year-old boy, who recently arrived from Europe.

In Delhi, of the 13 cases, 12 came through contact, while one patient travelled from Singapore. In Chennai, all seven are indigenous cases. Officials said that [B]so far 4,084 persons had been tested for the virus of which 864 were positive. While 633 persons had been identified through entry screening, 803 through ‘contact tracing’ and the rest were ‘self-reported’ cases. Of the 864 positive cases, 523 had been discharged. [/B

http://www.hindu.com/2009/08/10/stories/2009081059541100.htm

[Kassy]

H1NI Toll Reaches Four

PUNE/AHMEDABAD — A 42-year-old school teacher from a village near Pune and a 43-year-old non-resident Indian (NRI) man who had flown from the US to Ahmedabad died of swine flu on Sunday, taking the death toll from the raging virus in India to four.

Authorities in Maharashtra and Gujarat — which account for all four deaths — were on high alert after the latest fatalities as Delhi’s Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit called an emergency meeting in the capital.

Teacher Sanjay Kokare died in Pune’s Sassoon Hospital at around 1am. He is the third swine flu victim in Maharashtra, Pradeep Awate, head of Maharashtra’s Swine Flu Control Room, said.

Kokare had been admitted initially to a hospital in Khedegaon village near Pune on July 31, said Ashok Ladda, additional director of the family 
welfare department.

“He improved and was at home for two days. But his condition deteriorated and he was taken to a private hospital in Pune. He was shifted to Sassoon Hospital two days back and was on ventilator. He did not revive,” Ladda said.

Pravin Patel, a resident of Atlanta in the US, died of Influenza A (H1NI) at the civil hospital in Gujarat’s main city Ahmedabad on Sunday. He and his wife had tested positive for swine flu on Saturday, a week after arriving in India.

“This is the first swine flu death in Ahmedabad. The patient had other complications as well. He had viral pneumonia, which is very difficult to treat. His haemoglobin was low. All these added to the complications of swine flu,” Gujarat Health Minister Jaynarayan Vyas said.

Patel was brought to the hospital with a respiratory tract infection and was under ventilation from August 5 to 7. He was taken off the ventilator for a few hours on August 8 after his condition improved. But his condition deteriorated again.

Patel’s wife, whose name is not available, is in critical condition.

Reeda Shaikh, a 14-year-old student, was India’s first swine flu victim. She died in Pune. On Saturday, housemaker Fahmida Paanwala, 53, succumbed to her infection in Mumbai’s Kasturba Hospital. Authorities are closely monitoring the condition of three others — a medico and a pharmacist, who are in critical condition in Pune, and a 28-year-old businessman who is in critical condition in a Mumbai hospital.

There are 13 positive cases of swine flu in Ahmedabad.

The blood samples of another 53 patients are under examination 
across Gujarat. Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan has convened an early meeting of officials and experts as a high level team of the National Centre for Disease Control, earlier known as the National Institute of Communicable Disease, left for Pune, the worst hit city, to study the situation.

Pune is in the grip of panic as thousands besiege government hospitals to get themselves checked and to take the Tamiflu medicines — if needed. India has reported a total of 783 cases including four deaths. Of this, over 500 patients have been cured.

The most badly hit states are Delhi and Maharashtra. Meanwhile, experts and health officials came out against moves to sell Tamiflu medicines in the open market, warning it could lead to panic buying, hoarding and even spurious sale of the 
anti-influenza medicine.

Randeep Guleria, head of medicine at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi, said: “I don’t think it will be a good move.

“Also, overuse would develop resistance to Tamiflu and it would no longer be effective in the long run.”

Mexico, the first country to report swine flu, found that many people have developed resistance to Tamiflu.

Guleria added: “The epidemic is here to stay for some time.

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/international/2009/August/international_August613.xml&section=international&col=

[CanadaSue]

The number of people to die of swine flu in India has risen to six with the death of a number of patients over the weekend, health officials say.

Six patients are reported to be in a serious condition in the western city of Pune, which has recorded more cases than anywhere else in India.

A number of schools in the country have been shut temporarily over fears of children contracting the disease.

Officials say there are more than 800 cases of the H1N1 flu strain in India.

The virus is thought to have killed almost 800 people around the world.

A 53-year-old doctor of indigenous medicine and a four-year-old boy died in hospitals in western Pune and southern Chennai cities early on Monday, taking the number of deaths caused by swine flu to six.

Over the weekend, three people died of the flu in western India - a 43-year-old businessman who was visiting Ahmedabad city in Gujarat state; a 42-year-old teacher in Pune city; and a 53-year-old woman in Mumbai city.

Last Monday, a 14-year-old girl became the first person in the country to die of swine flu.

Health officials say that the country had enough stocks of the anti-flu drug Tamiflu.

However, panic is growing among the people with swine flu deaths making it to the front pages of newspapers and main TV news.

Several schools in western Indian and the capital, Delhi, have closed temporarily as fears grow about children contracting the flu.


Panic is growing among the people with swine flu fears rising
In Delhi, where some 228 cases have been confirmed, health officials say that the people are panicking "because the symptoms of swine flu and common influenza are similar".

As the number of flu deaths rise in the country, health officials have asked people not to panic.

Indian PM Manmohan Singh has asked the health ministry to step up preparedness against the disease and coordinate with state governments to help stop the disease spreading.

"All state governments have been asked to set up their own swine flu helplines, create more quarantine wards not only in their hospitals but also in the big private hospitals," federal Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said.

The BBC's Soutik Biswas in Delhi says though the number of swine flu deaths in India was still low, there are concerns over the ability of the badly-run and under equipped government hospitals to handle the rising tide of patients.

Also, the 12 swine flu testing centres in India will not be sufficient if the number of cases rise sharply, our correspondent says.

"We need to work out a public-private partnership between the hospitals to tackle the flu. We need to take the people, doctors and media into confidence so panic does not spread," federal Junior Health Minister Dinesh Trivedi told the BBC.

Last week, the World Health Organization announced that the first swine flu vaccines are likely to be licensed for use in the general population in September.

The swine flu (H1N1) virus first emerged in Mexico in April and has since spread to 74 countries.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8192646.stm

[Potemkin]

http://www.expressindia.com/story_print.php?storyId=500175

Seventh swine flu death in India
Express news service Posted: Aug 10, 2009 at 2139 hrs
Chennai/New Delhi Swine flu deaths spread beyond the western region claiming the life of a four-year-old boy in Chennai and two more persons from Pune fell victims raising the toll to seven, as a worried Centre roped in private hospitals to join the battle against the disease.

With swine flu cases in the country surging close to the 1,000 mark, the Centre unveiled fresh initiatives to contain the spread of the deadly H1N1 virus allowing private labs to conduct tests for the disease and private hospitals to provide tratment. 95 fresh case--half of it from Pune--were reported across the country today taking the total to 959.

As Government hospitals bore the brunt of the suspected cases, Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad in significant comments said government if required will even issue "legal directives" to private hospitals to treat the afflicted persons. Thermal scanners will be also installed at all international airports in the country to detect the cases.

Pune, the epicentre of the H1N1 virus infections, recorded the fourth swine flu death when 35-year-old chemist Sanjay Tilekar succumbed to the virus at Sassoon Government hospital tonight. Tilekar became the seventh victim in the country. A 35-year-old Ayurvedic practioner Babasahib Mane died in the same hospital earlier in the day.

In Chennai, B Sanjay, an asthmatic admitted to a private hospital with kidney and liver-related complications and had tested positive for swine flu, died this morning in the first H1N1 fatality in Tamil Nadu, health officials said.

"The number of swine flu cases are rising. We have to work a little harder," Azad said in New Delhi.

Maharashtra Government also announced a shutdown of schools and colleges for a week in Pune while theatres and multiplexes will remain shut for three days. Mumbai and Ahmedabad had accounted for one death each.

[Kassy]

Swine flu scare spreading fast in India

CHENNAI/NEW DELHI: Swine flu deaths spread beyond western India, claiming the life of a four-year-old boy in Chennai, even as death of a Pune pharmacist on Monday evening took the toll to seven, and the Centre shifted gears to battle the virus.

The government has decided to procure additional two crore tablets of anti-viral drug oseltamivir, the generic version of Roche’s anti-flu drug Tamiflu, used worldwide for treating swine flu.

While retailing of oseltamivir—sold under the brands Tamiflu and Fluvir—within a fortnight is actively being considered, the government is also exploring the possibility of roping in private hospitals and laboratories for testing and treating swine flu-infected patients. This, while the government is planning to double the number of medical kits to test the virus, by importing an additional 22,000 kits.

“The number of swine flu cases are rising. We have to work a little harder,” health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad told reporters in New Delhi, as people flocked to hospitals for swine flu tests.

The government will identify around 35 bureaucrats of the rank of additional secretary and joint secretary from several ministries who will be posted soon to various states to work with state governments to identify private hospitals and private testing laboratories with required facilities. The identified facilities will be designated to treat patients of swine flu.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/PoliticsNation/Swine-flu-scare-spreading-fast-in-India/articleshow/4879323.cms

[Kassy]

The government has decided to procure additional two crore tablets of anti-viral drug oseltamivir, the generic version of Roche’s anti-flu drug Tamiflu, used worldwide for treating swine flu.

1 crore = 10.000.000

(1 crore = 100 lakh
1 lakh = 100.000)
So that's 20.000.000 tablets

[Kassy]

Panic in the city...lab runs out of PCR kits...

Swine flu panic grips City

But the panic was acutely perceptible in Bangalore, where two schools declared a week-long holiday and many more announced shorter closures.

Frank Antony Public Junior School, where a seven-year-old tested positive for the influenza, and Vidya Sagar School, where a five-year-old was found carrying H1N1 virus, will remain closed for a week. FAPS-Junior has also rescheduled the first term examination to August 18.

As a preventive measure, Ryan International School at Whitefield, National Public School, Indiranagar and a few other schools have also announced closure for two days.

Caution was not restricted to schools. Over 350 patients thronged the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases (RGICD) in the course of the day. At least 60 throat swab samples were collected from patients and sent to the laboratory at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (Nimhans). Most of the panic-stricken people were referred by private practioners.

RGICD doctors were visibly exhausted by the constant flow of patients seeking screening. “Even patients with simple common cold are coming for screening, making it difficult for us to categorise them”, complained a doctor. But none of the doctors were ready to take any chances.

Lack of medicines

Meanwhile, the Nimhans laboratory ran out of PCR (polymerase chain reaction) kits and reagent chemicals. Nimhans laboratory in-charge and Neuro-Virology department head Dr V Ravi said: “The equipment including PCR kits have to be imported from the US and it will take time till it reaches the laboratory.” According to Dr Ravi, the PCR machine can handle only 10 samples at a time and conducts four different tests simultaneously.

On its part, the State Government urged school managements not to panic and desist from closing down schools. After a high-level meeting of health department officials chaired by Chief Secretary Sudhakar Rao in Bangalore, Health Commissioner P N Srinivasachari said the present situation did not warrant declaring holiday for schools to check the spread of the virus.

But, he admitted the virus had spread to the local community with 17 people testing positive in the last five days. None of these patients had been abroad and had contracted the infection from others. Ten more private hospitals in Bangalore were allowed to treat H1N1 suspects, besides the existing 13 designated hospitals. One lakh Tamiflu tablets have been distributed to various hospitals.

The health department has started screening one crore students from standard one to 10 across 46,000 schools in the State. A control room and a helpline –– 1056 –– will soon provide necessary details.

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/19013/swine-flu-panic-grips-city.html

[Kassy]

AP hospital admits 40 swine flu suspects

Forty people were admitted to Andhra Pradesh Chest Hospital here with suspected symptoms of swine flu.

Hospital Superintendant Dr SV Prasad said at least 100 patients had come seeking test for swine flu. However, only 40 of them were admitted after they showed symptoms of H1N1.

There are two previously confirmed cases under treatment in the hospital now. Test report on the fresh admissions are expected later tonight.

Since the hospital is unable to cope with the situation, it sent six patients to Kondapur and one to Vansthalipuram centre here, he added.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?sectionName=NLetter&id=bff74187-556c-42d5-8175-349212ace649&Headline=AP+hospital+admits+40+swine+flu+suspects

[Kassy]

Swine flu death toll rises to 10 in India

VADODARA/MUMBAI: A seven-year-old girl in Vadodara in Gujarat and a 63-year-old woman in Maharashtra died of the swine flu virus on Tuesday

The deceased identified as Sayeeda Dorjeewala from Mumbra, in neighbouring Thane district, was admitted in Noor hospital in Mumbai on August 6.

Blog: Health minister has foot-in-mouth disease

She had tested positive for H1N1 and was also suffering from some other complications, according to the Disaster Management Cell of Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai.

Famida Panwala, 53, was the first casualty of swine flu in Mumbai. With Sayeeda’s death the number of fatalities in Maharashtra has risen to seven.

A seven-year-old girl also succumbed to swine flu in the government-run Sir Sayajirao Gaekwad (SSG) Hospital in Vadodara today, hospital authorities said.

With this, two persons have died due to swine flu in Gujarat.

"Seven-year-old Arya Borde, who was admitted to the SSG hospital on last Wednesday died today afternoon," the hospital's medical superintendent Atul Saxena said.

"She (Arya) was admitted in a critical condition. Her samples were sent to the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) in Delhi where it turned out to be positive," he said.

Principal Secretary, Health, Ravi Saxena said," Arya was administered Tamiflu after being admitted to SSG hospital. There was no history of foreign contact."

"She was on ventilator support since August 7. She had no viral pneumonitis patch until August 9. The results of H1N1 was confirmed on August 8. She became critical today morning and passed away at around 12.30 hours," Saxena said.

The first death in Gujarat due to H1N1 virus was of 43-year-old Praveen Patel, an NRI based in Atlanta, US, in the civil hospital on Sunday.

Shruti Gawde (13), who died at the Sassoon Hospital in Pune had become the eight victim of the deadly virus early on Tuesday.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/india/Woman-dies-of-swine-flu-in-Mumbai-toll-rises-to-9/articleshow/4880845.cms

[Kassy]

India swine flu toll rises to 15, 2 victims in RML Hospital

Pune/Delhi, Aug 12 : A 33-year-old succumbed to the deadly swine flu virus in Pune on Wednesday taking the country's' swine flu death toll to 15.

The patient died in the Sasoon General Hospital.

Meanwhile, men, aged 22 and 40 respectively, who had been diagnosed with the flu, were said to be in a critical condition at New Delhi's Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital.

Earlier in the day, a doctor and a 29-year-old woman succumbed to the deadly virus in Nashik and Pune respectively.

In Nashik, 38-year-old doctor Rupesh Gangurde died at the Nashik Civil Hospital at around 2:30 a.m. this morning.

In Pune, Shrawani Deshpande died due to bilateral pneumonia following severe lung infection caused by the H1N1 virus at around the same time. 2:30 a.m.

Deshpande, a resident of Kothrud area, died at the Sasoon General Hospital.

On Tuesday, a 62-year old Thane woman and a Vadodara girl had succumbed to the deadly virus.

Shahida Abdul Aziz from Pune was admitted to the Noor Hospital in Bhaikhala and a (H1N1) virus was detected in her body only after her death.

In Vadodara, the girl fell prey to the flu, taking Gujarat's toll to two.

Meanwhile, doctors in New Delhi have been observing the nature of HINI virus to contain the mortality rate of the disease, Randeep Guleria, professor of medicine said.

"It is a self limiting disease so even if it spreads to the community, most people will become alright without treatment. Our aim should not be from containment point of view but to pick up the higher risk people and those who have higher chance of dying and treat them so that the death rate is low," Dr. Guleria.

Dr. Guleria also said they are observing the nature of the virus and until it changes its form, it is not a serious concern.

"Serious concern is not there as far as the mortality is concerned. But number of cases will increase. People need to be told that they need not worry. We need to observe it very closely and do good surveillance," Dr. Guleria, added.

With the increasing number of swine flu cases, the Central Government has unveiled fresh measures to control the spread of disease by allowing private labs to conduct tests and private hospitals to provide treatment.

http://www.newkerala.com/nkfullnews-1-91026.html

[Kassy]

Mumbai closes all schools over swine flu fears

MUMBAI (AFP) – Indian authorities on Wednesday ordered all schools and colleges in the vast city of Mumbai to shut for a week over fears about the spread of swine flu.

The state government of Maharashtra has had the highest incidence of swine flu cases in India, and two women, aged 63 and 53, have died in Mumbai after being confirmed as having the virus.

"The government has decided to close down schools, colleges and coaching classes in the entire city for a week starting on Thursday," said Suresh Wandile, spokesman for the state's chief minister.

"We have seen a rise in swine flu cases in the state. We need to take care, hence these precautionary measures," he said, adding that all cinemas and theatres would also close for three days.

Mumbai, home of the Bollywood film industry, is a teeming industrial and financial city with an estimated population of 18 million people.

It has about 1,100 public schools and 350 colleges, with scores more private institutions.

Public concern in India about the spread of the A(H1N1) virus has mounted since the country's first death from the disease on August 3.

As of Wednesday, 15 people infected by the virus had died, while more than 1,000 people had tested positive, the Press Trust of India news agency said.

The health ministry put the death toll at nine, saying it updated its figures every evening.

With the government appealing for calm, Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad stressed that swine flu should be put in the context of other health risks in India.

"It is not the only virus we have in our country. We have much more fatal diseases, much more costly diseases," he told reporters in Delhi earlier this week.

With most confirmed cases so far among people who have returned from overseas, tens of thousands of travellers arriving at India's international airports from affected countries have been screened.

A 24-hour helpline and website have been set up, public hospitals have been given responsibility for testing and isolation of suspected cases, and 100,000 doses of the anti-viral drug Tamiflu have been sent to affected cities.

India's fiercely competitive cable news channels have devoted hours of airtime to the virus, frequently featuring reporters wearing masks and standing in front of long lines of people waiting outside hospitals.

The World Health Organization says that 1,154 people had died by July 31 after swine flu emerged in Mexico and the United States in April.

With many hospitals overwhelmed, the parents of India's first victim -- a 14-year-old girl -- accused doctors of negligence, and demanded 50 million rupees (one million dollars) in compensation for alleged delays and mistakes in her treatment.

The Maharashtra state government also urged that celebrations of two key festivals this month should be "low-key".

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090812/wl_afp/indiahealthflueducation

[Kassy]

Six More Die of Swine Flu, Toll Rises to 17
(IANS)

13 August 2009


NEW DELHI — India’s swine flu toll rose to 17 on Wednesday as six people succumbed to the H1N1 virus in quick succession in Maharashtra, forcing authorities to shut down educational institutions and public places in Mumbai for a week.

Wednesday saw the highest number of six deaths for a single day since the first victim, Reeda Sheikh, 14, died in Pune on August 3.

In New Delhi, the health ministry asked the states to take strict action against those hoarding face masks and illegally selling Tamiflu, an anti-influenza drug. In Maharashtra, where swine flu has claimed 13 lives, the state government was forced to announce closure of all educational establishments in state capital Mumbai for a week from Thursday and 
multiplexes for three days.

However, offices and malls will remain open, an official clarified.

While five people died due to swine flu in Pune, called the ‘epidemic city’, the sixth death was reported 
from Nashik. The five who died in Pune were Gautam Shelar, a 48-year-old driver, Nita Meghani, 50, Babu Genu Kuland, a school student, Sanjay Mistry, 35, and Shravani Deshpande, 29, a Maharashtra Swine Flu Control Room official said. They all died at the Sassoon Hospital, which has been handling very serious cases of swine flu in this second largest city of Maharashtra.

Shelar was admitted to the hospital in a critical condition three-four days ago and died around 4.45pm. His death came barely an hour after Meghani died. Babu died in the same hospital at about 11am. A resident of Pimpri town near here, Babu was hospitalised three days ago in a serious condition, according to Pune Municipal Corporation (Health Department) chief S.R. Pardeshi.

Mistry, another Pimpri resident, died in the wee hours of Wednesday. He was hospitalised on Sunday in a critical condition and put on ventilator.

Within hours, Deshpande too died of the A(H1N1) influenza around 3 am. She had been hospitalised three days ago with pneumonia and later was found to be suffering from swine flu. She was then put on ventilator.

Around the same time, Rakesh Gargunde, a doctor with the Civil Hospital in Nashik city, also succumbed to swine flu virus, said civil surgeon A.D Bhal Singh. While Maharashtra accounts for 13 deaths — 10 in Pune, two in Mumbai and one in Nashik — one death each has been reported from Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram.

As many as 115 people were found positive on Wednesday — 61 in Pune, 24 in Mumbai, 10 in Bangalore, eight in Delhi, four in Ahmedabad, three each in Kolkata and Hyderabad, and one each in Shillong and Goa, the health ministry said. The new cases take the total number of affected people in the country to 1,193 — 588 of whom are at various stages of recovery, it said. Maharashtra, the most affected state, was preparing for the next stage of its battle against the flu.

“The government has ordered the closure of all schools, colleges and other educational institutions in the city (Mumbai) from tomorrow till August 20,” a Maharashtra government official told IANS. Suburban trains in the western megapolis would, however, function as normal.

Reeling under the growing menace of swine flu, the state government admitted the disease was progressing, necessitating a change in strategy to counter it. Now, the government plans to change its treatment process. Currently, Tamiflu is given after tests results, but it will be given at the initial stage itself, Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Sharvari Gokhale told 
mediapersons.

She said that 22 private hospitals in Mumbai and nine in Pune have come forward to offer treatment facilities for swine flu patients since the government hospitals were getting overcrowded.

Many private schools in Maharashtra have already closed down for two days — Wednesday and Thursday. Thereafter, Friday, Saturday and Sunday are official holidays.

With reports of hoarding of masks and illegal sales of Tamiflu tablets, the union health ministry held a meeting in New Delhi and also issued guidelines for private labs, making it clear that only those that comply with bio-safety facility would be allowed to do the tests.

In New Delhi, Joint Secretary (Health) Vineet Chawdhry said there was no need for all to wear the N95 mask, which is only for those who are either visiting a testing centre or are affected with the influenza A(H1N1) virus. He also asked the state governments to ensure no one was selling Tamiflu or hoarding masks.

“The state governments have to come with a heavy hand on all those hoarders and black-marketers. This is a public health emergency crisis in the country. Citizens from all walks of life have to cooperate,” he added.

He said that people should avoid crowds or crowded places during the Hindu festival of Janmashtami on August 14 so as not to catch the virus. Gearing up to fight the flu, the Delhi government also issued directions to all private hospitals under the Epidemic Act to reserve 10 beds each for the flu patients.

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/international/2009/August/international_August851.xml&section=international&col=

[caonacl]

Subverse: H1N1? Just fake it
12 August 2009, 12:00am IST

Should you hit the panic button about swine flu? Possibly (even though sceptics might tell you that statistically speaking your chances of succumbing to the disease are significantly lower than meeting with a fatal accident on urban thoroughfares, such as Delhi's notorious Ma Anandmayee Marg, which in 2008 alone saw 34 road deaths on its 5.6 km stretch).

One of the reasons for the H1N1 alarm might be that after a private clinic in Pune tragically misdiagnosed a 14-year-old patient's infection, resulting in her death, the government has taken over all testing and treatment for suspected swine flu cases.

Despite the lamentable Pune case, this could be a cause for worry. For India's sarkari health care by and large - or should that be by and small? - is arguably one of the worst in the world. Horror stories abound of infant patients being savaged by rats and other vermin that have free run in most government hospitals. Even showcase institutions, such as the nationally acclaimed AIIMS in New Delhi, have a deplorable reputation for hospital-borne diseases and other health hazards.

Then there is the question of medication. How effective is the medicine, monitored and stocked by government-run establishments, likely to be? The track record of sarkari supervision of the drugs and pharmaceutical industry is far from reassuring.

Periodic surveys have discovered that in some urban and semi-urban areas in the country, more than 30 per cent of the drugs randomly subjected to analysis were found to be spurious. When in the normal course of things there is such a high incidence of fake drugs on sale, what is likely to happen at a time of imminent pandemic, when panic demand outstrips chronic short supply, providing the makers of spurious drugs an irresistible money-making opportunity by flooding the grey market? According to official figures, the spurious drug trade - which reportedly accounts for some 25 per cent of the Rs 85,000-crore Indian pharma industry - is extremely lucrative, yielding profit margins as high as 90 per cent. Returns on fake drugs would, inevitably, spike sharply upwards the moment scare-buying and hoarding begins.

The endemic culture of fakery - which the government machinery seems unable or unwilling, or both, to eradicate - is not restricted to drugs and pharmaceuticals. Almost everything that we consume in India is adulterated, or in some way tampered with, from milk to diesel, from foodgrains to cooking oil and baby food.

The latest fake product to thumb its nose at an ineffective sarkar is the Indian currency. According to a TOI guesstimate there is some Rs 1,69,000 crore of bogus bank notes circulating in the country. The officially nominated villain of the piece is Pakistan's ISI which industriously prints out counterfeit Indian rupees to jeopardise our economy, funnelling the funny money into India mainly through Nepal. While this charge may be partly true, it shortchanges the role of our indigenous entrepreneurs, who are also busily operating their own do-it-yourself mints.

Is there a silver lining to be found in this dark cloud of all things counterfeit that hangs over India? Perhaps not. But if not a genuine silver lining, possibly there is a lining of bogus silver. And it is this: if all the things that we consume or interact with in our day-to-day lives have an element of fakery, is it not possible that our climate of the counterfeit has produced not an asli but an adulterated, or nakli, H1N1, unlikely to do us much harm? That's our only hope. Bogus as it also undoubtedly is.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/4882012.cms

[Kassy]

Teacher, infant die of swine flu
(IANS)

13 August 2009


PUNE/BANGALORE - A nine-month-old child died of the H1N1 virus in India’s epidemic epicentre Pune and a woman school teacher was Bangalore’s first swine flu victim, officials said Thursday, as India’s toll climbed to 19 amid hectic efforts to curb the spread of the contagious disease.

Nine-month-old Swabhiman Kamble died at the Sahyadri Munot Hospital in Pune late Wednesday, an official said.

An official at the Maharashtra swine flu control room told IANS that the infant had been hospitalised early this week with flu-like symptoms. In between, he had also been taken for a check-up to the Sassoon Hospital, which has been handling very serious cases of influenza A (H1N1) infection.

This was the 14th swine flu death in Maharashtra and 11th in Pune. Two people have died in Mumbai and one in Nashik.

Maharashtra’s neighbouring Karnataka state saw the first H1N1 death late Wednesday.

A 26-year-old school teacher identified as Rupa died at Bangalore’s St. Philomena Hospital. Her test results, received Thursday, confirmed she died of swine flu.

“Her throat and nasal swabs tests have confirmed that the patient was suffering from the H1N1 influenza virus,” hospital director Shankar Prasad told reporters Thursday.

She was admitted in the hospital Aug 7.

“The patient was admitted with breathing problems coupled with pneumonia. Her condition started deteriorating Tuesday and she died Wednesday afternoon. We got the confirmation that the woman was suffering from swine flu only Wednesday night,” added Prasad.

According to hospital sources, the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), where the test was done, confirmed that Rupa was suffering from H1N1 virus late Wednesday night.

Rupa worked as a teacher in the Sudarshan Vidya Mandir at Jayanagar here.

According to figures available with the health department, 522 tests have been conducted in Karnataka and 97 people have tested positive for the H1N1 virus.

With this, India’s swine flu death has reached 19. Apart from 14 deaths in Maharashtra, one death each has been reported from Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram.

A 75-year-old woman died Thursday in Pune’s Sassoon Hospital though it was not immediately clear if she was suffering from the viral disease.

Bharti Goyal died just before noon. She was on the ventilator in the intensive care unit (ICU), Joint Director (Health Services) P.S. Chavan told IANS.

Goyal had been shifted to Sassoon Hospital from the KEM Hospital Wednesday with breathlessness.

Chavan said her swine flu test report had not been received yet.

Since Reeda Sheikh, 14, died of swine flu in Pune Aug 3, authorities across the country have been on alert and efforts are on to contain the spread of the virus.

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/international/2009/August/international_August912.xml&section=international&col

[Kassy]

Bangalore woman dies of swine flu, India’s toll 19
(IANS)

13 August 2009
BANGALORE - A 26-year-old school teacher, who died Wednesday at the St. Philomena Hospital here, was Thursday declared by health authorities as Karnataka’s first swine flu victim, taking India’s death toll to 19.

“Her throat and nasal swabs tests have confirmed that the patient was suffering from the H1N1 influenza virus,” hospital director Shankar Prasad told reporters.

The woman, identified only as Rupa, was admitted in the hospital Aug 7.

“The patient was admitted with breathing problems coupled with pneumonia. Her condition started deteriorating Tuesday and she died Wednesday afternoon. We got the confirmation that the woman was suffering from swine flu only Wednesday night,” added Prasad.

According to hospital sources, the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), where the test was done, confirmed that Rupa was suffering from H1N1 virus late Wednesday night.

Rupa worked as a teacher in the Sudarshan Vidya Mandir at Jayanagar here.

According to figures available with the health department, 522 tests have been conducted in Karnataka and 97 people have tested positive for the H1N1 virus.

As many as 14 people have died of the flu in Maharashtra, while one death each has been reported from Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram.

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/international/2009/August/international_August905.xml&section=international&col

[Kassy]

PUNE: With one more death reported from Pune, the swine flu toll has climbed to 21 across India.

The swine flu pandemic has claimed its first victim in the IT hub of Bangalore when a 26-year-old woman succumbed to the virus while severely hit Pune today registered two deaths, taking the countrywide toll due to the infection to 20.

The woman, identified as Roopa, a teacher in a private school, had tested positive for the virus and was undergoing treatment at Bangalore's St. Philomena hospital also for respiratory disorders, health authorities said.

A mother of two children aged between six and four, Roopa was hospitalised on August seven with pneumonia, and later tested positive for swine flu, they said. She was also suffering from high blood sugar, they said.

Following her death, the health authorities have advised the school, Sudarshan Vidyalaya, where she was taking classes till last week, to declare a break and subject students and her colleagues to flu tests as a precautionary measure, they said.

An eleven-month-old boy Rutwik Kamle and a 75-year-old woman Bharti Goyal died today in Pune, taking the toll in the Maharashtra city, severely hit by the virus, to 12 and across the country to 20.

Rutwik was admitted first to a private hospital and then shifted to government-run Sassoon Hospital last evening in a serious condition, official sources said. He died early this morning. Goyal, who was suffering from the viral infection, died in KEM Hospital in Pune, they said.

Besides the Pune deaths, one person each has succumbed to the virus in Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Nashik, Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram and two in Mumbai.

http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Swine+flu:+Indias+toll+rises+to+2 0&artid=4Fw8Czzo6QY=

[Auburn Boy]

Numbers in India rise almost as fast as one can look twice..,

http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Swine+flu+toll+mounts+to+25&artid=pfeI/cc4Jdc=

Swine flu toll mounts to 25


PTI First Published : 14 Aug 2009 08:17:17 AM ISTLast Updated : 14 Aug 2009 10:10:33 PM IST

PUNE/RAIPUR: A 40-year-old CRPF personnel died of suspected swine flu here this evening, taking the toll to two in the state.


Y S Rao, a constable in the paramilitary force, had visited Mumbai and returned on August 10 here. He was ill and had come to the Chhattisgarh Institute of Medical Sciences for a check-up, doctors said.

They said he was advised to get himself tested but he left the hospital. On August 13, when his condition deteriorated he got himself admitted to the institute.

His sample was taken and has been sent to the national capital for testing, doctors said, adding the result is awaited.

This is the second fatality from suspected swine flu in the state.

An 18-year-old boy Sitaram Varma had died in Raipur yesterday. Hailing from Bhilai, he was suffering from pneumonia and throat infection, hospital sources said. He had recently visited Pune.

With this death, the nationwide toll has risen to 25.

[Kassy]

Three Pune deaths due to viral pneumonia; toll 12 in city

Three patients, who were suspected to have died of swine flu in the city, have tested negative for the virus, officials in Pune said.

District Collector Chandrakant Dalvi said the three - Gautam Shelar, Bharati Goyal and Swabhiman Kamble - died of viral pneumonia and severe acute respiratory syndrome and not due to swine flu.

Their reports of throat swabs showed that they were not suffering from swine flu, he said on Friday.

With the test reports of the three coming negative, only 12 people have died of swine flu in Pune, Dalvi clarified.

Shelar died on August 12 and Goyal on Thursday. Eight-month-old boy Kamble died late on Thursday night in Sahyadri hospital.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?sectionName=NLetter&id=922e8ade-02c1-499f-aa7f-f5ae58cf15d8&Headline=Three-Pune-deaths-due-to-viral-pneumonia-toll-12-in-city

[Kassy]

Pune student first swine flu victim in Assam

Guwahati, Aug 15 - A 21-year-old student from Pune Saturday became the first swine flu victim in Assam, even as health authorities cautioned against panic and urged the people to follow the guidelines to fight the disease.

A health department spokesperson said the student, studying at a college in Pune, was admitted to the Mahendra Mohan Choudhury - hospital in Assam's main city of Guwahati Thursday with swine flu-like symptoms.

'The student tested swine flu positive with the laboratory reports received Saturday,' Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told IANS.

The student, hailing from Harayana, was in Guwahati to see his sister.

'The student is in the isolation ward and has been put on medication. We have, in the meantime, conducted tests and quarantined all the family members with whom the student was in contact just before he was admitted to hospital,' said H.K. Das, a doctor at the MMC hospital.

'There is no need for panic although people should follow the guidelines and report any swine flu-like symptoms to the nearest hospital, besides taking precautions against the virus,' Sarma said.

There are at least four more people, including a child, at the MMC hospital with swine flu-like symptoms.

'We are awaiting their laboratory test reports,' Das said.

http://www.rxpgnews.com/medicalnews/Pune-student-first-swine-flu-victim-in-Assam_186241.shtml

[Kassy]

Swine flu shadow on Haj

CITHARA PAUL

New Delhi, Aug. 14: Swine flu has struck Haj.

The Haj Committee of India has directed pilgrims above 65, below 12 years and pregnant women to avoid the trip because of the pandemic.

This will force out almost half of the 150,000 people who have signed up for the pilgrimage, the first batch of which leaves in October-end.

“It is an advice jointly from the Government of India and the committee,’’ said Hasan Ahmad, the acting chairman of the Haj panel. Haj is one of the largest human gatherings and hence prone to contagious diseases like the flu, he added.

The directive is also in tune with the instructions of the Saudi Arabia government, which has diagnosed over 300 H1N1 cases and recorded two deaths. Oman, Tunisia and Iran have come out with similar directives for Haj pilgrims.

But, with just over two months to go, Indian authorities may find it difficult to select replacements. The entire process of picking another 75,000 pilgrims must start afresh.

Religious leaders aren’t happy. “God knows how to protect his people against such evil (flu). Moreover, it is a great reward from Allah to die while or after performing Haj,’’ said Badaruddin Jamal of Mushawarrat, an umbrella body of Muslim organisations.

The Haj curbs came on a day four more persons died from the flu in India taking the toll to 26.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090815/jsp/nation/story_11364885.jsp

[Kassy]

Viral fever, gastro cases on the rise

Nallakunta Fever Hospital choked with patients




Outpatient numbers at hospital increase from 600 to 1,200

30 to 40 patients being admitted by doctors everyday

HYDERABAD: Swine flu is not the only illness which is making public anxious in twin cities. The spate of viral fevers and cases of gastroenteritis too has raised the distress levels among them.

Doctors point out that there has been a spurt in cases of viral fevers and gastro in the last fortnight from various parts. The Bonalu festival, which is still being celebrated in some parts, marriages, private functions, lack of personal hygiene, consumption of contaminated food and water are a few reasons for continued presence of viral fever, physicians said.

The nodal centre for seasonal diseases, Nallakunta Fever Hospital, is getting choked with cases of viral fevers and gastro since last fortnight. The outpatient inflow has shot up from 600 to 1,200 and daily hospital doctors are taking 30 to 40 patients for admissions.

Because of common symptoms with swine flu, patients with viral fever have to undergo a lot of anxious moments before getting fully recovered. Body fatigue, muscle aches, running nose, cough and joint aches are the most common type of symptoms of viral fevers.

Consumption of contaminated food and water continue to be the prime reasons for such ailments. The viral fevers are self-limiting, which means the fevers subside naturally, and that is where they differ from swine flu.

“Boiling water, washing hands, personal hygiene and taking precautions from mosquitoes are basic precautions. Viral fevers are common during this part of the year and public should not panic,” advised DM&HO Dr. Ch. Jayakumari.

http://www.hindu.com/2009/08/17/stories/2009081758670300.htm

Some background info.

[Kassy]

Seven more positive for flu

Telegraph, Calcutta (Kolkata)


Three members of a family were among the seven persons who tested positive for swine flu on Sunday. Altogether, 39 people have contracted the H1N1 virus in the city.

Mridul Sengupta, 52, wife Piyali, 38, and their 12-year-old son Sourashish became the first swine flu victims in the city who were allowed to be treated at home. The Ashoknagar residents were released from Infectious Diseases Hospital after they signed a risk bond.

“Since their infection is not severe, they can be quarantined at home and treated,” a health department official said.

The others who tested positive were Arnab Bannerjee, 34, Agnibina Chatterjee, 11, Navrit Singh, 22, and Hari Lama, 31.

The state health department on Sunday issued a circular asking the swine flu clinics to give priority to four categories of suspects for tests.

The four groups are persons below five years and above 55 years of age; pregnant woman and people suffering from diseases like asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cardiac disorder and diabetes; those suffering from diarrhoea and respiratory distress; and patients showing “classic symptoms” of severe H1N1 infection.

“All swine flu clinics have been asked to give priority to these groups of suspects while sending swabs for test,” said Tapas Sen, the nodal officer for swine flu in the state.

G.B. Nair, the director of Niced (Calcutta), said the number of samples being sent to the institute has gone up sharply, creating a backlog. Niced can handle 45 samples in eight hours or 135 in a day. “We have to prioritise as the number of samples is much more than what we can handle. The samples of those showing severe symptoms should be tested while others can be treated symptomatically,” Nair said. Niced is planning to procure rapid test kits from Mumbai.

Protective gear: Schools are buying protective masks in an attempt to prevent the spread of swine flu on the campuses.

The Heritage School has procured 150 masks. “The nurses and other staff members in the infirmary are wearing masks. Students, too, will be given masks if they are found to be suffering from swine flu,” said principal Seema Sapru.

Schools such as Mahadevi Birla, Modern High, Calcutta Girls and Birla High (for both boys and girls) are sending students running a temperature back home.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090817/jsp/calcutta/story_11367999.jsp

[Kassy]

27-year-old is fifth swine flu victim in Bangalore

TNN 17 August 2009, 01:19am IST


BANGALORE: The city recorded its fifth swine flu death on Sunday when Shilpa Hegde (27) died at the St John's Hospital due to ‘‘breathlessness’’
and ‘‘severe respiratory distress’’ according to doctors.

She had high fever for almost five days before she came to the hospital, where she was put on ventilator immediately.

‘‘With no testing kit available that day, we directly started administering the Tamiflu as she was already late for treatment. We sent her swabs for testing to the lab at Nimhans the next day. The test result on August 14 confirmed her positive. But, by then, she was already into the treatment and had completed five days with Tamiflu. Unfortunately, she could not be saved. It could be the initial delay. She had travelled just before she was down with fever. That might have also affected her immunity levels,’’ doctors said.

With this death, H1N1 has claimed five lives in Bangalore so far. Is there a pattern? All the victims have had similar symptoms — pneumonia, respiratory problems or heart ailments. As the symptoms mimic those of common influenza, delay in seeking medical attention added to the fatalities. Doctors say that this ‘‘cold virus’’ spreads in cool climate and Bangalore’s salubrious weather has aided this.

Although there were unconfirmed reports of the death of another woman due to H1N1 at Wockhardt Hospital on Cunningham Road, doctors there spoke otherwise. ‘‘Both the swab samples tested negative for dengue as well as H1N1. The woman died of viral pneumonia and other complications after undergoing treatment for five days,’’ doctors said.

As on Sunday, the number of samples collected were 673, with 10 confirmed cases for the day and the cumulative cases confirmed at 160.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/india/27-year-old-is-fifth-swine-flu-victim-in-Bangalore/articleshow/4900247.cms

[Kassy]

Pune woman dies of swine flu, toll rises to 28

17 August 2009

PUNE: A 36-year-old woman died of swine flu in Sasson hospital in Pune late on Sunday night, official sources said.

The woman named Bina Gonsalves was admitted to the hospital on August 13 with suspected swine flu symptoms, they said.

With this, the death toll due to the disease rose to 28 across the country. This is the thirteenth swine flu death in Pune.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/india/Pune-woman-dies-of-swine-flu-toll-rises-to-28/articleshow/4900294.cms

[Kassy]

Chinks in flu armour show as count swells

G.S. MUDUR AND SANJAY MANDAL


Calcutta is stuck on how to handle the growing swine flu count — 39 till Sunday evening — even as the other metros are preparing to tackle a more potent pandemic of secondary infections.

The city now has a second isolation unit at MR Bangur Hospital (in Tollygunge) and four flu-detection outdoor clinics, but healthcare experts say these facilities can’t stand the test of a virus spreading like wildfire.

“What about infrastructure to treat flu cases aggravated by health conditions like heart disease, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, pregnancy and weakened immunity? Secondary infection is the killer,” said a lung specialist.

The state government convened a meeting with private hospitals only last week to take stock of the facilities they could make available for the flu fight. The private hospitals were given a week to submit reports.

“We have yet to receive all the reports,” a senior official of the health department said on Sunday.

He claimed that the government was doing the best it could have under the circumstances. “We are following a strategy of creating screening units before moving on to additional isolation units in other state-run hospitals and private healthcare units.”

Officials argued that it was unfair to compare the city with Pune and Mumbai, where the incidence of swine flu was much higher.

The main centre for swine flu patients in Calcutta remains the ill-equipped Infectious Diseases Hospital in Beleghata. Health minister Surjya Kanta Mishra recently asked all district and sub-divisional hospitals to “revamp” their quarantine facilities to prevent overcrowding at the Beleghata hospital, which has faced flak for bundling flu suspects into an apology of an isolation ward.

“Neither Infectious Diseases nor MR Bangur hospital has the facilities required to treat flu patients who might develop serious complications because of other health conditions. Secondary infections like pneumonia and respiratory distress can’t be managed properly with the kind of infrastructure that is available,” a government doctor said.

Delhi has 13 hospitals — the list includes the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital and Safdarjung Hospital — to which a patient with symptoms of swine flu can go. “Most of these hospitals have cath labs, defibrillators, dialysis units and other equipment to treat complications,” an official said.

In Bangalore, the government has designated six state-run and 45 private hospitals as swine flu centres. Karnataka chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa held a meeting with representatives of private hospitals on Independence Day to finalise the plan.

Mumbai has five state-run and 10 private hospitals to treat swine flu. Pune has three state-run facilities and as many private healthcare units for the disease.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090817/jsp/calcutta/story_11368493.jsp

[Mama Alanna]

The viral fevers are self-limiting, which means the fevers subside naturally, and that is where they differ from swine flu.Huh? You contract the flu, you get sick, you get well. In most cases, that is. They aren't treating all SF cases at the hospital with vents and other life support, now are they?

We suspects, precious, that most of their 'viral fevers' ARE SF. Just some of the "mild" cases.

[Auburn Boy]

Viral fever, gastro cases on the rise

Nallakunta Fever Hospital choked with patients




Outpatient numbers at hospital increase from 600 to 1,200

30 to 40 patients being admitted by doctors everyday

HYDERABAD: Swine flu is not the only illness which is making public anxious in twin cities. The spate of viral fevers and cases of gastroenteritis too has raised the distress levels among them.

Doctors point out that there has been a spurt in cases of viral fevers and gastro in the last fortnight from various parts. The Bonalu festival, which is still being celebrated in some parts, marriages, private functions, lack of personal hygiene, consumption of contaminated food and water are a few reasons for continued presence of viral fever, physicians said.

The nodal centre for seasonal diseases, Nallakunta Fever Hospital, is getting choked with cases of viral fevers and gastro since last fortnight. The outpatient inflow has shot up from 600 to 1,200 and daily hospital doctors are taking 30 to 40 patients for admissions.

Because of common symptoms with swine flu, patients with viral fever have to undergo a lot of anxious moments before getting fully recovered. Body fatigue, muscle aches, running nose, cough and joint aches are the most common type of symptoms of viral fevers.

Consumption of contaminated food and water continue to be the prime reasons for such ailments. The viral fevers are self-limiting, which means the fevers subside naturally, and that is where they differ from swine flu.

“Boiling water, washing hands, personal hygiene and taking precautions from mosquitoes are basic precautions. Viral fevers are common during this part of the year and public should not panic,” advised DM&HO Dr. Ch. Jayakumari.

http://www.hindu.com/2009/08/17/stories/2009081758670300.htm

Some background info.

Some Indian doctors must not have gotten the memo.

H1N1 is a virus.

Symptom: diaharrea
Symptom: nausea
Symptom: vomiting.
Symptom: fever (not always though.)

Could it just be co-incidence that several diseases might be circulating more
heavily at the same time?

We've already heard they've been running low on test kits. (I suppose rapid HI Type A kits and PCR kits for Pandemic H1N1.)

So, just call it a "viral fever" and :bob: says go home, you'll be fine.

I wonder when the fatalities from a mis-diagnosis here will start?

[Auburn Boy]

It was only 27 fatalities two hours ago..,

Now it's 28.

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/20038/three-more-h1n1-deaths-nationwide.html

Three more H1N1 deaths, nationwide toll mounts to 28
Bangalore/Pune, PTI:

Three women including two in Bangalore and one in Pune, died of swine flu raising the toll in the pandemic across the country to 28.

While two women, both aged 27, succumbed to the deadly virus in Bangalore one 36-year old woman died of the disease in Pune.



With five deaths Bangalore so far accounts for the second largest number of flu deaths after Pune, where the toll is 13.


Besides Pune and Bangalore, one person each has died due to the viral disease in Ahmedabad, Nashik, Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram, Raipur and Bilapur and two each in Mumbai and Vadodara.

Shamshad Begum and Shilpa Hegde fell prey to the infection at different hospitals here last night, health officials said. Their test reports confirmed swine flu virus, they said.




Hey, the journalist called it a "viral disease!"

[Kassy]

Swine flu cases climb to 2,242 in the country

NEW DELHI: Swine flu continued to spread in the country with 216 people testing positive for the deadly virus, taking the total number of those
afflicted with the pandemic to 2,242.

Mumbai (48) and Pune (36) topped the list of cases followed by Chennai (30) and Delhi (25).

The other cases were from Bangalore (17), Nagpur (13), Coimbatore (9), Dhule (5), Gurgaon, Nashik, Latur, Aurangabad, Rajkot (three each), Naned, Ratnagiri, Beed, Surat (two each) and Ahmednagar, Kholapur, Satara, Diburgarh, Jamnagar, Vadodara, Ahmedabad, Daman, Mangalore and Buldan (one each).

Out of the 25 cases reported from Delhi, only three cases have foreign travel history.

"11,724 persons have been tested so far out of which 2,242 are positive for swine flu. Of the 2242 positive cases, 758 have been discharged," a Health Ministry official said.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/india/Swine-flu-cases-climb-to-2242-in-the-country/articleshow/4912218.cms

[Kassy]

Swine flu claims four more lives, toll up to 33

20 August 2009,


AURANGABAD/PUNE/BANGALORE: With the death of four people — two in Bangalore and one each in Aurangabad and Pune, the swine flu toll in the
country mounted to 33 on Wednesday. In Bangalore, a 45-year-old man succumbed to H1N1 virus on Wednesday morning. He had been on Tamiflu since August 15. His swab test had confirmed him as H1N1 positive.

A 36-year-old woman belonging to Bangalore died on August 17. She was admitted to M S Ramaiah Hospital on August 14 and kept on ventilator. She too was given Tamiflu from August 14, according to Usha Vasankar, director of Health and Family Welfare.

Of the 33 swine flu deaths so far, 19 have died in Maharashtra, including 14 in Pune and three in Mumbai. Seven people have died in Karnataka, three in Gujarat, two in Chhattisgarh and one each in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

The flu continued to spread in the country with 216 people testing positive for the deadly virus on Wednesday, taking the total number of those afflicted with the pandemic to 2,242. Mumbai (48) and Pune (36) topped the list of Wednesday's cases followed by Chennai (30) and Delhi (25).

A 40-year-old labourer, Arjun Bihari, is the first confirmed H1N1 virus casualty in Marathwada region of Maharashtra, where swine flu has spread to more areas. Bihari died on Monday while he was being shifted to the government medical hospital, according to Government Medical College Hospital (GMCH) superintendent B.K. Somani.

The National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune sent the report on Bihari's throat swab samples to the GMCH late on Tuesday evening, confirming that he was H1N1 positive.

Confirming the death in Pune, district collector Chandrakant Dalvi said Vijay Avaghade was admitted to KEM Hospital on August 17. His throat swab report from the NIV confirmed that he was H1N1 positive.

Meanwhile, three other patients are still in a critical condition at the isolation ICU of the Sassoon hospital. All three have tested positive for the H1N1, an official said. In Nashik, the death toll rose to three as reports of two dead patients found that they had swine flu.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/india/Swine-flu-claims-four-more-lives-toll-up-to-33/articleshow/4913220.cms

[Kassy]

Chennai worst hit by H1N1 after Mumbai and Pune

NEW DELHI/CHENNAI: On a day when a 24-year-old BTech student and two men in their early 50s died of suspected swine flu, raising the nationwide toll to 33, Chennai, which reported 30 positive cases on Wednesday, earned the dubious distinction of becoming the epicentre of the infection after Mumbai (48) and Pune (36).

There was a sharp rise in the number of swine flu cases across the country on Wednesday with 216 people testing positive for the virus, taking the total number of those affected by the pandemic to 2,242.

BTech student Raunak Singh, a resident of Dehradun, who had returned home from Pune, was admitted on Monday with swine flu-like symptoms to a hospital, where his condition deteriorated, doctors said.

His family members on Tuesday were on their way to Delhi taking Singh to AIIMS when he died.

In Pune, Vijay Avghade (52) and Narendra Deshpande (54) died of swine flu on Wednesday, a few days after they were admitted to a hospital in a serious condition. With Wednesday’s casualty, the death toll in Pune due to the influenza has risen to 15.

In Chennai, a medical student and a staff of the Madras Medical College were among the those who tested positive for A(H1N1) on Wednesday. Both have been admitted to the Government General Hospital’s quarantine wards, said MMC dean J

Mohanasundaram.

A second phase of the telemedicine programme was conducted by the GH after doctors working in government hospitals at Tiruvallur, Tiruvannamalai, Kancheepuram, Krishnagiri, Ooty and Rameswaram flagged questions on the treatment process and on how to deal with patients in the high risk category.

Meanwhile, civic body officials on Wednesday said the total number of admitted persons at the CDH in Tondiarpet had risen to 39.

Neighbouring Puducherry reported two more positive cases.

http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=After+Mumbai+and+Pune,+Chennai+wo rst+hit+by+H1N1&artid=Y50jY4Sw2X8=

[Kassy]

Country reports most swine flu deaths in a day, 10 dead

PTI 20 August 2009


NEW DELHI/BANGALORE: In the highest number of casualties reported in a day, 10 people died of swine flu across the country taking the nationwide
toll to 44 today as Karnataka recorded five deaths due to the deadly virus which claimed its first victims in the national capital.

The day also saw a spurt in fresh positive cases — 159 — across the country taking the total to 2,401. Pune reported 66 cases today and Mumbai 18.

Samrat Pandeya (31) died this morning at Delhi's Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital while Renu Gupta (38) succumbed to the virus last night, hospital Superintendent N K Chaturvedi said.

The H1N1 virus claimed its 16th victim in Pune when a 27-year-old woman Dipti Pawar died at the state-run Sassoon hospital today, officials said. The virus also claimed its fourth victim in Mumbai — the 22nd in Maharashtra — today as 35-year-old Dattatraya Gawde died at a civic hospital.

Karnataka accounted for the second highest number of deaths after Maharashtra as five more persons, four of them women, died in the southern state due to the disease.

Ratna Nagaraj (36) died at a private hospital today. Two women Krishnaveni (45) and Kalpana (36) died in hospitals on August 17 while N Prema (23) succumbed to the virus on August 16. The other victim 45-year-old Edward Mohan died in another hospital yesterday.

Besides the casualties in Maharashtra (22) and Karnataka (10), the countrywide toll includes five deaths in Gujarat, two each in Delhi and Chhattisgarh and one each in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Uttarakhand.

Swine flu cases climb to 2,401 in the country

NEW DELHI: One hundred and fifty-nine fresh cases of swine flu were reported from across the country today, taking the total number of those afflicted by the disease to 2,401.

Mumbai reported 18 cases, Pune (66), Nashik (3), Aurangabad (6), Dhule (4), Osmanabad (2), Washim (1), Solapur (1), Beed (1), Parbhani (1), Chennai (12), Chengalpattu (1), Delhi (11), Bangalore (13), Davangere (3), Hubli (2), Gadag (1), Vishakhapatnam (3), Idukki (1), Thiruvananthapuram (1), Ernakulam (1), Udaipur (3), Noida (1), Bareilly (1), Rohtak (1) and Raipur (1).

Out of the 11 cases reported in Delhi, one case has foreign travel history. The case is a 25-year-old woman, who has travelled from Bangkok to Delhi.

One case reported from Pune has travelled from the UK, one case reported from Vishakhapatnam has travel history from the UK transiting Dubai. All the other cases reported during the day are indigenous cases with no foreign travel history.

A total of 12,604 persons have been tested so far out of which 2,401 are positive for swine flu.

Out of 12,604 tested, 797 people have been identified through entry screening, 1740 through contact tracing and the rest were self reported.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/india/Swine-flu-claims-nine-more-lives-nationwide-toll-up-to-43/articleshow/4916111.cms

[Kassy]

Another swine flu suspect referred to city hospital

TNN 20 August 2009, 09:18pm IST

VARANASI: One more swine flue suspected case was reported at SPG hospital here on Thursday. According to reports, Irfan (20) of Siddharthnagar
district had recently visited Mumbai. After returning home last week he fell ill. His father is posted as gardener at divisional railway manager office here. When the health condition of Irfan deteriorated he reached here and his father rushed him to North Eastern Railway hospital.

Later, he was referred to SPG hospital as swine flue suspected case. He was admitted to special ward created for swine flue patients, confirmed the chief medical superintendent, Dr BK Bhargawa adding, tests were being conducted to confirm whether he is suffering from Swine flue or not.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/city/varanasi/Another-swine-flu-suspect-referred-to-city-hospital/articleshow/4915950.cms

[Kassy]

West Bengal received fresh consignment of swine flu drug

20 Aug 2009


Kolkata: West Bengal government has just received a fresh consignment of the swine flu drug, Tamiflu. The state has received one lakh tablets of
the medicine from the Centre.

The state had sought fresh supply of the drug in light of its plans to expand the treatment infrastructure and the growing pool of H1N1 positive patients. The government feels this replinishment of stock will help it to tackle the current level of the pandemic.

Talking to ET, West Bengal government nodal officer for the swine flu wing Dr Tapas Sen said: "We have just received fresh supply of one lakh tablets of Tamiflu from the Centre. It will be sufficient to meet the current level of spread of the disease. Since we will also supply the drug to the private hospitals which are setting up isolation wards, there was a need to beef up our stock of the medicines. "

The government will also monitor the supply of the drugs to the private hospitals to prevent any misuse or illegal sales. "The private hospitals will be given Tamiflu based on the number of cases they treat. Though the Centre has issued guidelines to expand the supply of Tamiflu, we will ensure controlled supply to prevent any indiscrimate use of the drug," said Dr Sen.

Incidentally, three fresh cases of swine flu were diagnosed on Thursday, taking the total number of affected patients in the state to 64. Currently, 21 patients are undergoing treatment in various hospitals in the state.

"Amongst the private facilities, Apollo Gleneagles is the first hospital which has confirmed its intention to set up the isolation ward. We will inspect their facility on Friday to issue the necessary approval," Dr Sen said.

Indian Railways on Thursday expressed its intention to set up an isolation ward in their B.R. Singh Hospital in the city. "Railways has informed us that they want to set up a 8-bed isolation ward in B.R. Singh solely for its employees," Dr Sen said.

Another 40-bed isolation ward is being set up at R.G. Kar Hospital. As a result, the total number of swine flu isolation beds in the city are slated to rise to 280 in the next few days, which includes 10-bed isolation wards each
to be set up in 11 designated private hospitals.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/PoliticsNation/West-Bengal-received-fresh-consignment-of-swine-flu-drug/articleshow/4916169.cms

[Kassy]

West Bengal received fresh consignment of swine flu drug

20 Aug 2009


Kolkata: West Bengal government has just received a fresh consignment of the swine flu drug, Tamiflu. The state has received one lakh tablets of
the medicine from the Centre.


Indian numbers:
1 crore = 10.000.000 = 100 lakh
1 lakh = 100.000

[Kassy]

12 new swine flu cases in Uttar Pradesh


LUCKNOW: Twelve fresh cases of swine flu were reported in Uttar Pradesh Thursday, prompting the health department to ask the central government for more Tamiflu tablets. The total number of swine flu patients in the state is now 45.

"We had received 85 samples out of which 12 tested positive today (Thursday)," T.N.Dhole, the head of the microbiology department in the Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS), told IANS here.

Nearly 90 percent of the cases were reported from Lucknow, the state capital.

Lucknow's Chief Medical Officer A.K. Shukla however claimed most of the positive cases were of those who had come to the city from affected places like Pune or abroad.

"At least 7 to 8 of those who tested positive today (Thursday) were from among a group of Bhartendu Natya Kendra students who just returned after attending a three-month training programme in Pune," he said.

Even as the state government maintained that there was no cause to worry, state Health Minister Anant Kumar Misra asked the central government to enhance the supplies of Tamiflu tablets, the medicine for treatment of swine flu.

"What I have been trying to impress upon the centre is that even as we have sufficient stocks for the time being, the supply of Tamiflu is not commensurate with the population of the state," he said.

http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=12+new+swine+flu+cases+in+Uttar+P radesh&artid=9u0CjfZmwVE=

[Kassy]

Short version of #112.

India Express Buzz
Thursday, August 20, 2009 11:59 PM IST


India's swine flu toll touches 44


PTI
First Published : 20 Aug 2009 01:39:04 PM IST
Last Updated : 20 Aug 2009 10:32:44 PM IST

NEW DELHI/BANGALORE: In the highest number of casualties reported in a day, 10 people died of swine flu across the country taking the nationwide toll to 44 today as Karnataka recorded five deaths due to the deadly virus which claimed its first victims in the national capital.

The day also saw a spurt in fresh positive cases -- 159 -- across the country taking the total to 2,401. Pune reported 66 cases today and Mumbai 18.

Samrat Pandeya (31) died this morning at Delhi's Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital while Renu Gupta (38) succumbed to the virus last night, hospital Superintendent N K Chaturvedi said.

The H1N1 virus claimed its 16th victim in Pune when a 27-year-old woman Dipti Pawar died at the state-run Sassoon hospital today, officials said.

http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Indias+swine+flu+toll+touches+44&artid=qnmlnNLhoL0=

[Kassy]

Flu toll reaches 45; Azad flays states

CHENNAI/NEW DELHI: Swine flu claimed its second victim in Tamil Nadu when a 47-year-old man succumbed to the virus, raising the countrywide toll to 45 even as Union Health Minister Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad on Friday accused state governments of not doing enou gh to contain the pandemic.

As many as 159 fresh flu cases were reported from various states till yesterday, taking the total number of those afflicted by the disease to 2,401, a Health Ministry official said. With the death of the middle-aged man, whose name was not immediately av ailable, in Chennai last night, the flu toll has climbed to 45 with Maharashtra accounting for 22, the highest number of fatalities, followed by Karnataka with 10.

Five deaths have taken place in Gujarat, two each in Delhi, Chhattisgarh and Tamil Nadu and one each in Kerala and Uttarakhand. Lashing out at state governments, Mr Azad said they have “forgotten their duty” even though the Centre was stretching itself t o the maximum limit to contain the disease.

Addressing state health ministers at a review meeting of the National Rural Health Mission in New Delhi, the Minister said, “We (Centre) can go to a point, don't expect us to go beyond a point. This is the maximum limit we could stretch ourselves to. Bey ond this the state governments should shoulder their responsibility which they haven't done,” Mr Azad said. - PTI

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/blnus/14211420.htm

[Kassy]

Swine flu toll now 48


IANS

First Published : 21 Aug 2009 06:05:45 PM IST
Last Updated : 21 Aug 2009 10:52:41 PM IST

NEW DELHI: Twelve more swine flu deaths were confirmed in India Friday, taking the total number of deaths from the H1N1 virus to 48, the union health ministry said here.

The maximum deaths have been reported from Maharashtra where 27 people have died. The state, which is the worst hit by the virus, recorded six deaths in the last 24 hours.

The country also reported 138 new cases of influenza A (H1N1), taking the total number of infected people across the country to 2,539.

Apart from Maharashtra, two people died in Karnataka, three in Gujarat and one in Tamil Nadu. Eleven deaths have been reported in Karnataka so far.

It is followed by Gujarat where five people have died. In Tamil Nadu and Delhi, the number is two each, and in Kerala one person has fallen victim to the deadly virus.

At a conference of state health ministers in New Delhi Friday, union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said that 36 deaths had been reported till Thursday.

But he admitted that there has been some confusion about the death toll and the officials are checking the figures with the state governments.

"There is no need to panic as the country has so far managed to control the spread of virus," he said.

I.R. Perumal, principal secretary of health and family welfare in Karnataka, said the state has recorded 11 deaths from swine flu.

"In our state, there were 211 positive cases reported so far. Of which 11 have died due to late diagnosis," Perumal told IANS at the sidelines of the state health ministers conference.

"Over 100 of the total cases have been cured and discharged. We are ready to tackle the spread of the virus," he added.

According to the health ministry, about 13,364 people have been tested so far out of which 2,539 tested positive for Influenza A H1N1.

The 138 new cases were recorded from Mumbai (6), Pune (62), Ahmednagar (1), Nanded (2), Akola (1), Jalna (1), Kolhapur(1), Nasik (3), Nagpur (2), Chennai (10), Delhi (12), Bangalore (19), Bijapur (1), Kolkata (3), Silchar(1), Ernakulam (7), Kota (1), Srinagar (2), Jammu (1), Agra (1) and Raipur (1).

Only three patients, who tested positive, had travel history.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), about 182,166 laboratory confirmed cases of H1N1 have ben reported till Aug 13. About 1,799 deaths have been reported worldwide, maximum from Mexico and the US.

http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Swine+flu+toll+now+47&artid=dVqzG8Ctxog=

[Kassy]

3 more die of swine flu, death toll crosses 50


NEW DELHI: Three more persons, including one in worst-hit Pune, succumbed to the swine flu on Saturday, pushing the country-wide fatalities from the HINI pandemic to 51.

A death each occurred in Pune, Tamil Nadu and Goa with four more testing positive for the virus in Assam even as close to 2,600 patients were undergoing treatment across the country.

With a 60-year-old man succumbing to the disease in Pune in Maharashtra, the city recorded its 20th swine flu death.

All educational institutions in Pune, which reported its first fatality on August 3, had been shut for the past one week to prevent the spread of the infection.

The flu claimed its third victim in Tamil Nadu when a 45-year-old man died at the government hospital in Chennai.
The man, whose throat swabs tested positive on August 19, was admitted to the hospital on August 12 with complaints of breathlessness and bleeding piles.

A 67-year-old man, suspected to be suffering from the swine flu, died at a private hospital in Goa, health officials in state capital Panaji said.

Shiva Murthy, who arrived from Bangalore yesterday, was admitted to the hospital with high fever, they said adding he breathed his last this morning.

His throat swabs had been sent for HINI testing to Delhi and the reports were awaited, the officials said.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/india/3-more-die-of-swine-flu-death-toll-crosses-50/articleshow/4922883.cms

[Auburn Boy]

Ramping up..,

Expecting to see the pattern go from an arithmetic increase to a geometric increase soon..,

Twelve more fatalities since you reported the toll past 50, Kassy.., I'm thinking various news outlets are having trouble keeping the numbers straight too.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/PoliticsNation/HINI-pandemic-Seven-more-die-fatalities-mount-to-63/articleshow/4923540.cms


HINI pandemic: Seven more die, fatalities mount to 63


22 Aug 2009, 2309 hrs IST, PTI

NEW DELHI: Seven more people, including a two-month-old baby, succumbed to the deadly swine flu since last evening, pushing the country-wide
fatalities to 63 even as the Karnataka government announced free treatment for HINI patients in private hospitals.

Four deaths occurred in Maharashtra and one each in Goa, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan as several more, including 44 in the national capital and 42 in Karnataka, tested positive for the dreaded disease.

With a 60-year-old man perishing in Pune in Maharashtra, the city, where all educational institutions had been shut for the past one week, recorded its 20th swine flu death.

A two-month-old baby and a 12-year-old girl, who tested positive for the virus, succumbed in Mumbai last night even as the Municipal Corporation said the swine flu was not the only cause of their death.

"Swine flu may not be the sole cause of their death as both were suffering from various complications," BMC Health Officer J Thanekar said.

A 37-year-old woman, afflicted with disease, also died last night in the metropolis.

The flu claimed its third victim in Tamil Nadu when a 45-year-old man died at the government hospital in Chennai.

The man, whose throat swabs tested positive on August 19, was admitted to the hospital on August 12 with complaints of breathlessness and bleeding piles.

[CanadaSue]

I'm frankly surprised it's taken this long for numbers to really start ramping up in India. A few of us were chatting about this yesterday. I figured either cases were being missed if they were out of the major urban centers OR, a constant assault on the immune system meant those living there might be beter suited to fight off a bout of flu - okay that sounds crazy & I was gently thumped for it - LOL. Hey, it was an idea that crossed my mind.

What's their population now? 1.16 according to the CIA. It's still classed, (rightly), as a developing country & I expect access to even basic health care is a struggle for most.

Let's see what happens there over the next week or so. They were so badly affected in 1918.

[spitting in the wind]

Which brings up the question of people with seasonal allergies and perennial allergies: do they fend of the bug better because they have have hyper immune responses or to they go to cytokine storm faster because they are hyped up?

[flourbug]

Which brings up the question of people with seasonal allergies and perennial allergies: do they fend of the bug better because they have have hyper immune responses or to they go to cytokine storm faster because they are hyped up?

Because so much is flowing OUT nothing can get in.

I had severe allergies for years (I worked with a smoker and I'm allergic to cigarette smoke) that caused my eyes to water and my nose to run almost constantly. I did not have one single cold or flu for the seven years I worked in that office. As soon as I left, my allergies subsided, and I got sick - in fact, it caught up with me. I spent the next year allergy free but sniffling from one headcold after another.

[spitting in the wind]

That is an interesting example and goes rt. along with what I have experienced, it has been years since I have had a cold. But is there any studies addressing it?

[Kassy]

10 days on, Bihar awaits H1N1 test results

By Prashant K. Nanda, New Delhi, Aug 23 : At least 10 days after Bihar sent seven swine flu samples to Delhi for testing, the state government is still awaiting the results - exposing the central government's claim that it is equipped to provide the results in 24 hours.

'On Aug 12 we got the result of one sample we (had) sent to the National Institute of Communicable Disease (now National Centre for Disease Control). The day after, we sent seven samples but the test results are still awaited,' Bihar Health Minister Nand Kishore Yadav, who was in Delhi, told IANS.

'It's a matter of concern. We don't know why there is so much delay,' Yadav said.

Across India, at least three people have died due to late diagnosis of the virus and state health officials believe that unless the central government provides them test results in time, the situation may slip out of hand.

Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and his ministry officials have reiterated many times that the central government provides swine flu test results within 24 hours.

There is no swine flu testing centre in Bihar. The minister said the central government has assured the state that the Rajendra Memorial Research Institute in Patna will be made a H1N1 testing centre.

'Two of our doctors are now undergoing training at the National Institute of Virology (NIV) at Pune,' the minister said.

He said a lot of students from his state go outside to study and are now returning because of rampant swine flu.

'The only positive case from Bihar is a student who had returned from Maharashtra. To control the spread of the influenza A (H1N1), we are screening our students who are returning from places like Pune and Mumbai,' the minister said.

Bihar health officials said that nearly 700 students returning from Maharastra had undergone swine flu screening.

'We are fully geared to tackle the situation. We are concerned about swine flu, but there is no panic in the state,' the minister assured.

Since early May, when India reported its first swine flu case, nearly 2,700 people have been infected by the contagious virus and has left 54 people dead.

Yadav said the state government has set up special swine flu screening centres at major railway stations and airport.

'Bihar is serious about controlling the spread of the virus. We too have set up screening centres at two India-Nepal border points to curb the spread. International borders are important points and extra care has been taken to deal with it.'

http://www.newkerala.com/nkfullnews-1-97919.html

...rightly indeed.

[Kassy]

Four more down with swine flu

A STAFF REPORTER


Four more swine flu cases were detected on Sunday, taking the number of people affected by the H1N1 virus in the city to 73.

Health department officials said 14 swine flu patients were being treated at various hospitals in the state. In the city, the patients are being treated at Infectious Diseases Hospital in Beleghata and MR Bangur Hospital in Tollygunge.

The latest victims, whose nasal and throat swabs were tested at the National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases (Niced), have been identified as Sanjay Saha, 33, Pranati Sharma Sarkar, 32, Subhajit Bose, 24, and Manjari Pal, 13.

Pranati Sharma Sarkar’s one-and-a-half-year-old daughter Isha had earlier tested positive for swine flu. “The mother might have contracted the virus from the child,” said a doctor at the Beleghata hospital.

Samples too many: Niced officials have expressed their inability to handle the “huge number of samples” that are arriving every day for the H1N1 test.

The institute, senior deputy director Sekhar Chakraborty said, is receiving more than 100 samples every day against its capacity to handle only 50. “This is resulting in a day’s delay in readying the results,” he said. “We have officially informed the state health department about the growing pressure,” Chakraborty added.

Last week, a Niced team had visited the laboratory of Desun Hospital off the Bypass to verify whether it had the facilities to conduct swine flu tests.

Health department sources said the process of creating isolation units at private hospitals was yet to take off. “We expect to finalise things soon,” said a senior official at Swastha Bhavan.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090824/jsp/calcutta/story_11400032.jsp

[Kassy]

Swine flu claims 6th victim in Guj


VADODARA: The march of the deadly swine flu continues in the state with the virus claiming its sixth life on Sunday. Hasmukh Hingoo, 47, resident
of Bharuch, who was admitted to SSG Hospital (SSGH) in

Vadodara on August 20 succumbed after testing positive for the virus. Hingoo is the second victim of the deadly flu in Vadodara after seven-year-old Arya Burade, who died on August 11.

According to the state health department, the number of positive cases as of Sunday evening has gone up to 92 with Ahmedabad accounting for 56, Surat 14, Vadodara 10, Rajkot 6, Bhavnagar 2 and one each in Gandhinagar, Jamnagar, Daman and Kandla.

Hingoo, who owns a tailoring shop in Bharuch, was referred by a private hospital to SSGH with symptoms of pneumonia and respiratory problems. He was admitted in a critical condition and was put on ventilator.

However, his condition worsened and he succumbed due to bilateral pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) apart from H1N1 virus.

"He was not keeping well from August 11and had consulted two doctors in Bharuch. With no improvement, he was brought to SSGH and put on ventilator," said Praveena Thakkar, resident medical officer of SSGH. Hingoo’s report arrived on Saturday with his samples testing positive for H1N1 virus. Interestingly, just like Arya’s case, no one knows how Hingoo contracted the deadly flu. Relatives say Hingoo had not travelled outside Bharuch lately. His family members, including his wife and son, have been put on Tamiflu. by local health authorities.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/city/ahmedabad/Swine-flu-claims-6th-victim-in-Guj/articleshow/4926283.cms

[Kassy]

Tourists visiting Goa are to be screened for swine flu.

State health minister Vishwajeet Rane said cases of the illness were likely to rise as temperatures cooled, and measures were required to protect the public against an outbreak.

“The Union health ministry has assured us thermal scanners will be installed at the airport,” Mr Rane said. “We don’t want to create panic but we are also not in the mood to take any chances.”

He added that four ventilators were due to be bought for the government hospital’s special intensive care unit for treating critical swine flu cases.

His statements come soon after a 67-year-old man who arrived from Bangalore died from suspected swine flu at a private hospital in the state on Saturday.

Around 2.4 million tourists, including 400,000 foreigners, visit Goa every year.

More than 40,000 passengers arriving at 22 international airports across India from countries affected by swine flu have been screened, according to the health ministry.

So far, 2,772 swabs have tested positive and 60 people have died of the H1N1 virus in the country, official figures stated.

http://www.irishnews.com/break.asp?tbrk=brk&par=brk&catid=5834&subcatid=642&storyid=423735

[Kassy]

4 more die of swine flu, toll 74

24 August 2009

NEW DELHI: Four persons, including an infant and a businessman, succumbed to the dreaded swine flu, pushing the countrywide death count from the
H1NI pandemic to 74 even as 137 more contracted the infection since last evening.

Two fatalities occurred in Karnataka and one each in Maharashtra and Gujarat as the number of those afflicted with disease topped the 2,900 mark.

A two-and-a-half-year-old child, who was admitted to a hospital in Pune, the worst-hit by the virus, on August 21 after she tested positive, died last night, health officials said.

With the infant's death, the toll mounted to 23 in Pune where educational institutions, malls and theatres, shut two weeks ago, reopened on Monday.

A 52-year-old businessman, Rajesh Udhad, was the latest swine flu victim in Gujarat taking the number of fatalities in the state to seven, state Principal Secretary (Health) Ravi Saxena said.

Two more succumbed to the illness in Karnataka where the death count climbed to 14 as nine more tested positive for the H1N1 virus, health officials in Bangalore said.

Fifty-year-old Sarojamma breathed his last at a private hospital in Bangalore while 22-year-old Shivu, hailing from Kodagehalli in Kolar district, succumbed at the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/4930251.cms

[Kassy]

Swine flu kills nine more, India toll 75

New Delhi, Aug 26 : Nine more people succumbed to influenza A (H1N1) virus Wednesday, taking the total number of swine flu deaths in the country since Aug 3 to 75.

Five of the latest deaths took place in Maharashtra, the worst hit state, while Karnataka and Uttarakhand accounted for three and one deaths respectively, the health ministry said here.

At least 177 people also tested positive for the contagious virus.

Though details of the deaths from Karnataka and Uttarakhand are not known, the dead in Maharashtra included a 28-year-old businessman in Mumbai and a 35-year-old woman in Pune, the city which has seen most fatalities.

Sandeep Gaikwad died of swine flu at the Hiranandani Hospital in Mumbai, said an official.

Gaikwad was hospitalised three weeks ago in serious condition. Despite the long treatment, the resident of Kandivli suburb in northwest Mumbai passed away early Wednesday.

Of the total deaths since the first death took place in Pune Aug 3, 41 people have died in Maharashtra, 19 in Karnataka, seven in Gujarat, three each in Delhi and Tamil Nadu and one each in Uttarakhand and Kerala.

At least 34 people, who have tested positive for swine flu, are being treated in hospitals, according to the Mumbai Disaster Control Room. In Pune, a 35-year-old woman died at the Sassoon Hospital.

Shabana Quadir Shaikh was admitted to the hospital four days ago, the State Swine Flu Control Room said.

There were also concerns about delayed test results in various places in the country.

The test results of a two-year-old girl in Bhopal, who was the first H1N1 patient in the city and who has already recovered, came only Tuesday evening -- 12 days after her samples were sent for verification.

Doctors at the State Swine Flu Control Room said the girl was admitted to the Gandhi Medical College Hospital Aug 13 with flu-like symptoms and her samples were sent for testing the same day.

"My child is now in good health," said V.K. Shrivastava, father of the girl, Ananya. "She was administered medicines for normal fever and cold, and has improved without medicines prescribed for swine flu."

According to the health ministry, 177 people tested positive for the virus Wednesday, taking the total number of swine flu infections in India to 3,273.

Of the new infections, only one has travel history. The rest appear to have contacted the disease within the country.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), 182,166 confirmed cases have been reported worldwide till Aug 21 while 1,799 people have died, mostly in Mexico and the US.

--- IANS

http://www.newkerala.com/nkfullnews-1-100012.html

[Kassy]

30 new swine flu cases in Delhi

IANS First Published : 26 Aug 2009


NEW DELHI: The national capital Wednesday reported 30 new swine flu cases, among them eight children, said Delhi Health Minister Kiran Walia.

"Of the 30 identified cases, eight are children. The situation is under control and the government is doing its best in providing treatment to patients in government hospitals," said Walia.

The minister said that Delhi had reported 549 swine flu cases so far and of these 495 had been discharged.

"Fifty-four cases are under treatment at various hospitals. Of these, seven are admitted in hospitals and the remaining 47 are being home-quarantined," she said.

The health minister advised Delhi residents to visit doctors at the earliest if they showed any symptoms of swine flu.

http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=30+new+swine+flu+cases+in+Delhi&artid=whoyUYj|p/s=

[Kassy]

Swine flu death toll climbs to 80


NEW DELHI, Aug 26 (APP): The swine flu death toll in India has climbed to 80 with warning to people in worst -hit Pune to stay away from crowded places. As many as 25 persons died in Pune alone where the panic- stricken people have not sent their children to educational schools despite the administration opened them on Wednesday after fifteen days. People have crowded the hospitals for examination.
In Maharashtra state, the death toll has touched 43 mark, media reports said. The deaths have been reported from Karnataka Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Kerala, Goa, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Haryana.

According to reports, 186 confirmed cases of swine flu have been reported in various states during the last two days, taking the total number of affected people to to 3,095.

http://www.app.com.pk/en_/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=84820&Itemid=39

[Kassy]

Bangalore techies launch website on H1N1

BANGALORE: Citizens certainly feel it's about time to create awareness about H1N1 flu. Three city-based techies have created a website providing information on H1N1 to fight the pandemic.

The voluntary website `swinefluindia.com' received good response with nearly 60,000 visits and over 1,50,000 page-views (No. of times website has been opened) shortly after it was launched.

According to the techies, citizens should stay informed about H1N1 flu and take steps to prevent the disease from spreading. The website not only provides information but also shows useful items in search results.

The portal is interactive and allows people to coordinate and provide important information. The pages on `swinefluindia.com' are built using simple HTML and CSS. So one can add more information to a page, simply modify the page and send it across.

Some important information one can get on the website include phone details of screening centres, address, cost of testing, procedure at testing centres and procedure to sanitize offices.

If one is looking for opinion on what the government should do or whether Tamiflu should really be used, then one can analyze the topics on `Discussions' -- a feature embedded with a well-known social networking website or any other forum. The contribution will be acknowledged in the credits page.

The best way to add information is to provide a link to a source such as the World Health Organization (WHO), ministry of health and family welfare, government health department websites and media websites.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Infotech/Internet-/Bangalore-techies-launch-website-on-H1N1/articleshow/4940377.cms

[Kassy]

Country's swine flu death toll rises to 88


New Delhi, Aug 27 : Country's swine flu toll climbed to 88 on Thursday.

According to sources a teenaged girl and two women succumbed to the virus in Karnataka and Maharashtra respectively.

Meanwhile, 177 fresh cases of infection were reported from various states across the country.

The swine flu has spread even outside Bangalore as 16-year-old Sunanda Kandawal who was admitted to BLD Medical College Hospital in Bijapur in Northern part of Karnataka on August 24 succumbed to the virus.

Maharashtra Health authorities confirmed the death Purva Amol Joshi (23), and Deepali Shinde (20) in Nashik.

Nashik Civil Hospital surgeon A D Bhalsingh said the victim died on Wednesday night.

With this, 46 people died in Maharashtra, 20 in Karnataka, 7 in Gujarat, three each in Tamil Nadu, Chattisgarh and Delhi, two in Uttarakhand and one each in Kerala, Goa, Rajasthan and Haryana due to the H1N1 virus.

http://www.newkerala.com/nkfullnews-1-100695.html

[Kassy]

19 more positive swine flu cases in Delhi

NEW DELHI: Nineteen more people have tested positive for swine flu, raising the total number of cases of H1N1 virus in the city to 571.

"Swab tests
of 19 samples tested positive for swine flu virus. With this the total number of swine flu cases admitted in designated hospitals stands at 571 out of which 536 cases of H1N1 flu have been treated and discharged," Delhi health minister Kiran Walia.

Meanwhile, the government of Delhi on Friday made it mandatory for all the four private empanelled pathology laboratories for testing H1N1 virus to report positive swine flu cases to nodal officers here.

"By doing so, the government will be able to have full details of total number of patients affected by H1N1 virus as well as ensuring their treatment and tracing of their contacts," Walia said.

"The private laboratories may immediately contact the designated officers - Dr R P Vashisht and Dr Anjan Prakash - bringing to their notice about the details of affected persons," she said.

"We have also decided to facilitate H1N1 patients admitted in hospital with the highest quality of medical care. We are going to acquire 30 ventilators for dedicated H1N1 Intensive Care Units (ICUs) in all Delhi government hospitals."

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS/City/Delhi/19-more-positive-swine-flu-cases-in-Delhi-/articleshow/4945951.cms

[Kassy]

No let up in swine flu, death toll in India mounts to 89

MUMBAI/NEW DELHI: The swine flu pandemic showed no let up and claimed the life of a 39-year-old man in Mumbai, pushing the toll to 89 while 123
fresh cases of infection were detected across the country.

M Shaikh, who had tested positive for the virus, had undergone treatment at MGM Hospital in Navi Mumbai for ten days and was shifted to D Y Patil Hospital, also in the same area, yesterday, Navi Mumbai Chief Health Officer Deepak Paropkari said.

Shaikh died on Friday night, he said. With this death, the nationwide flu toll climbed to 89.

Maharashtra now accounts for 47 fatalities — 25 in Pune, ten in Mumbai, seven in Nashik, two in Aurangabad and one each in Dhule and Latur.

20 people have died in Karnataka, seven in Gujarat, three each in Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh and Delhi, two in Uttarakhand and one each in Kerala, Goa, Rajasthan and Haryana.

The flu spurt continued across the country with 123 fresh cases of the viral disease being detected yesterday, bringing the total number of those who had been infected to 3,396, Health Ministry officials said in Delhi.

The ministry said that the virus was affecting people in the 14 to 44 age bracket more and late reporting for treatment was the reason for most of the deaths.

Director General of Health Services R K Srivastava, quoting a survey by the ministry, said on Thursday that instances of death occurred when people infected by the virus reported for proper treatment five days or more after the symptoms surfaced.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS/India/No-let-up-in-swine-flu-death-toll-in-India-mounts-to-89/articleshow/4944790.cms

[Kassy]

Swine flu claims 5 more lives, nationwide toll reaches 98

PTI 29 August 2009


NEW DELHI: Five more persons including two pregnant women, one each in Pune and Ahmedabad, died of swine flu, taking the countrywide toll in the
pandemic to 98 today even as 218 fresh cases were detected across the country.

Besides the two women, three others including a youth in Pune and two women in Karanataka succumbed to the virus.

While 28-year-old pregnant woman Roopali Jore died last night at a private hospital in Pune where she was kept on a ventilator, 20-year-old Sunil Kumbhar died at Sassoon hospital this evening, health officials said.

Kumbhar had been admitted in a critical condition with symptoms of H1N1 virus at the government hospital this morning, they said, adding that the two deaths in Pune which has suffered the highest number of fatalities so far due to the disease to 27.

Meanwhile, two more persons, including a nine-year-old girl, have succumbed to the deadly virus in Karnataka, pushing up the pandemic toll in the southern state to 26.

Close on the heels of a three-year old boy dying of the virus in Bijapur, a nine-year-old girl fell a victim to the H1N1 influenza at Manipal Hospital here on August 26, health officials said.

The other victim, a 30-year-old woman, succumbed to the virus at Bapuji Hospital in Davangere on August 27.

A 23-year-old pregnant woman died of the virus at a private hospital in Ahmedabad this morning, taking the toll in the state to eight.

Vaishali Kalal was on ventilator since yesterday, health officials said.

http://thisbluemarble.com/showthread.php?p=144010#post144010

[Kassy]

India tightens its grip on Tamiflu

Swine flu test centres in India are swamped and face mask stocks are running out, but it is access to the Swiss antiviral drug Tamiflu that is causing the most fuss.

Tamiflu is one of two antiviral drugs said to be effective in treating the A/H1N1 flu virus that has reached pandemic levels worldwide.

In one doctor's office in Mumbai, the capsules are so precious they are kept locked in a safe. Doctor Charulata Jakhia has the key on her at all times.

"It's safest: if all my staff had access to Tamiflu, it would disappear and we would see it appear on the black market. Today, everyone with money wants to buy it – as a precaution."

Jakhia is responsible for the distribution of Tamiflu in the district of Bandra East, one of the most populated areas in this large Indian city. She is responsible for the health of around 100,000 people but her practice only stocks around one hundred doses.

"It is enough to treat a dozen patients. The government has promised to give us more, but for now hopefully we manage."

Although India has more than one billion inhabitants, the government only has reserves capable of treating 250,000 patients. Of the ten million pills in state hands, 7.5 million have already been distributed.

"As the virus is highly contagious, when a person falls ill, one is obliged to provide anti-viral drugs for all family members and house staff. In India, that's easily ten to 15 people," said Jakhia.

With its population density, poor hygiene and ill-informed inhabitants, India has all the ingredients necessary for a rapid spread of the virus.

Generic brands

To cope with the pandemic, which has already affected more than 2,500 people across the country and killed 50 within a fortnight - the government has decided to acquire 30 million more doses - an order worth more than SFr20 million ($18.7 million).

But the government has already announced it will not only be approaching Roche, the Tamiflu patent holder. Vineet Chowdhury, joint secretary at the ministry of health told swissinfo.ch that the authorities had "decided to buy generic Tamiflu from all businesses in the market and as much as they can produce".

That means the government will use all the Indian laboratories that manufacture generic brands – good news for the local pharmaceutical industry, which had been waiting for such an announcement for months.

To date, Roche had allowed only one Indian company to provide the government with Fluvir, a local version of Tamiflu. Based in Hyderabad – India's medicine producing hub - Hetero Drugs is the only pharmaceutical company in the country to have received a licence from the Basel-based group to produce and export a generic brand.

It has been able to produce Tamiflu since 2005 "in the event of a pandemic, and only for Third World countries", clarified a spokesman for Roche.

But for several months, three other Indian laboratories have been saying they are able to produce the anti-viral drug in large quantities. They soon hope to sell their versions in the Indian market - which would end a de facto monopoly of Roche and Hetero Drugs (which pays a percentage of its turnover in Swiss group).

The chairman of Cipla, one of the oldest pharmaceutical companies in the country, for example announced in October 2005 that he was ready to launch a generic version under the name Antiflu.

High stakes

To what extent do these companies they have the right to produce generic versions of Tamiflu and can India - or other governments - buy them in the event of a pandemic?

"The situation is confusing: contradictory information is circulating about Tamiflu," explained Philippe Ducor, a lawyer specialising in intellectual property rights.

"Nothing obliges a country to recognise a patent, it is a national decision. India rejected the patent on Tamiflu at the start of the year. Roche now has the right to appeal. Indian companies can therefore theoretically produce generics, if they obtain authorisation from the Indian government, but they face having to pay damages if an agreement is finally reached."

Roche is currently refusing to comment on the existence of Tamiflu copies, only confirming that they have given licences to three companies in the world, two in China and India.

Within the context of the swine flu pandemic, which is affecting more and more countries, billions of dollars are at stakes in this commercial war. India is preparing to produce remedies on a massive scale, not only for its domestic needs, but also for export throughout Asia and Africa. The Indian-produced generic brand of Tamiflu is already on sale in Malaysia and Oman.

And the conflict between Indian and Swiss laboratories could deepen if one particular discovery is confirmed: the finding that trees with leaves containing the main ingredient for Tamiflu, normally grown in China, would also be perfectly suited to the climate of the south coast of the India.

Clementine Mercier in Mumbai, swissinfo.ch

http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/business/India_tightens_its_grip_on_Tamiflu.html?siteSect=1 61&sid=11134747&rss=true&ty=st

[Kassy]

Two die of swine flu in AP

Hyderabad, Sept. 2

Andhra Pradesh, which registered one of the first cases of influenza A (H1N1) in the country, reported two deaths, with two men succumbing to the virus. Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, Mr Navin Mittal, Hyderabad District Collector, said a 35-year-old man from Champapet in the Old City died at the Government Chest Hospital at Yerragadda. Another 35-year-old man from Gudimalkapur died at the Apollo Hospital. “He tested positive on Tuesday and died tod ay due to multi-organ failure,” he said.

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2009/09/03/stories/2009090351931700.htm

[Kassy]

India's so different from my piece of the world:

Diseases lurk in government schools

BANGALORE: While children are increasingly falling prey to swine flu and dengue, the state of affairs in many government schools across the state
is pathetic.

More than 70% of government primary and higher primary schools in Karnataka lack basic drinking water and toilet facilities. Forget toilet and water, none of the rural schools has a hand-wash facility. Such facilities are crucial these days considering the threat of the swine flu virus.

A cursory look at statistics prepared recently by the education department is a telling commentary on the sad state of affairs. Of the total 44,850 schools in Karnataka, 10,540 have no toilets and lack drinking water facilities.

Nearly 25,964 schools lack separate toilets for girls. They share toilets with boys in some schools. Primary schools are the worst hit. As per the standards set by the Centre, all schools need to meet the basic requirement of a urinal per 30-35 students and a toilet per 100 students. A separate sanitation facility for boys and girls is also mandatory. In Karnataka, however, primary and higher primary schools have a toilet per 500 students.

Wherever toilet facilities exist in some schools, they are not being properly maintained. "We were shocked to find locked toilets in most of these schools, and the authorities reasoned that students will dirty them if they are kept open," the report stated.

There is another shocker -- about 252 schools are functioning without a building. They are functioning either under temporary sheds or tree shades.

"Our education system has undergone enormous change with time, but the traditional parameters of cleanliness and sanitation have been neglected. We need to redefine the parameters considering the epidemiological scenario of communicable diseases in the areas where schools were located," said MLC Naseer Ahmed, who had recently raised this issue in the legislative council.

Experts were unanimous in their opinion that in practice, not many government schools had been able to develop a healthy environment on the premises, though there has been a significant improvement over the last few years.

...

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/city/bangalore/Diseases-lurk-in-government-schools/articleshow/4965768.cms

[Kassy]

Swine flu: Karnataka blames IT pros

BANGALORE: With the H1N1 virus claiming 53 lives in Karnataka, the state authorities are blaming frequently travelling IT professionals and pollution in cities like Bangalore for the surge in swine flu cases.

"We are trying our best to control it. But look at the pollution level in cities like Bangalore -- it is compounding the problem of swine flu," Karnataka principal secretary (Health) I.R. Perumal told IANS.

"Pollution and less precaution on the part of IT people have worsened the situation. IT people travel a lot and during the initial days they hardly took any precaution," said Perumal.

In terms of swine flu fatalities, Karnataka is second only to Maharashtra, which has seen 72 deaths from the disease so far. The health secretary said even companies like Infosys had failed to do their duty in helping people take precaution against the disease, which has affected nearly 700 people in the state.

"They have become conscious, but initially none of these IT guys, even Infosys, took the required precaution. I have information that now they have started conducting regular health checkups of employees," he added.

He said pollution in Bangalore is making respiratory diseases intensify and there are hundreds of cases of pneumonia in the state. Health experts have said people with respiratory problems and pneumonia are at high risk at a time when the H1N1 infection is spreading fast.

"Pneumonia is affecting the swine flu situation. We have experienced some 200-300 pneumonia cases in the last couple of months in Bangalore alone. What can I do? The pollution is so heavy here," the secretary said.

Last year too the IT capital had reported over 300 cases of pneumonia in this season, he said.

Statistics show that the ambient air quality in the Karnataka capital is deteriorating rapidly. The amount of nitrogen oxide, sulphur oxide and suspended particulate matter is much higher in the air and is leading to respiratory problems among people.

With over 2.5 million vehicles plying on the narrow roads of Bangalore, the air quality is definitely worsening gradually.
"Look at the number of vehicles," Perumal said. The health secretary said he had asked all hospitals and IT firms to report to swine flu screening centres if any of their employees was suffering from pneumonia or swine flu symptoms.

"Now, we have roped in 90 private hospitals across the state for the job. As you know, the government has made swine flu treatment free even in private hospitals. We pay Rs 2,000 to these hospitals for treating each swine flu patient and Rs 3,000 extra for conducting the test," Perumal added.

He also said the state government is distributing ayurvedic medicines to help people improve their immune system. "We are trying our best. The chief minister is taking extra care and has asked us to work hard to curb the virus."

more on:
http://infotech.indiatimes.com/News/Swine-flu-Karnataka-blames-IT-pros/articleshow/5008983.cms

You got to blame someone...

[Kassy]

India's swine flu toll goes up to 191

New Delhi, Sep 14 : Two swine flu deaths in Karnataka and one in the national capital were reported Monday, pushing up India's Influenza A (H1N1) virus toll to 191, health authorities said here.

Also, 220 fresh swine flu cases were reported in the country, taking the total number of people affected so far with the flu to 6,359.

In Karnataka, a patient died in Bangalore and another in Kolar, taking the state's toll to 64, a health official said.

A 29-year-old woman admitted at a private hospital died in Bangalore Saturday, and a 60-year-old man died of the virus at a private hospital in Kolar Sep 4.

However, the report confirming that they tested positive for the virus was received only on Sep 13, the official said.

In the national capital, health authorities confirmed that a three-year-old boy, who had died Sunday, had succumbed to swine flu.

"The boy was admitted to the Bara Hindu Rao Hospital a few days back and he died on Sunday," state Health Secretary J.P. Singh told IANS.

With this death, the toll from the H1N1 virus in New Delhi has gone up to five.

In Bangalore, where the number of swine flu death is going up drastically, the municipal corporation Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) in association with the health department launched a door-to-door surveillance drive.

"We are adopting a random method. We pay random visit to houses in a particular community and check the health conditions of all the members of the particular family," said a state official.

"A set of questions are also being asked to each family, to verify their current health status. We're also acquiring random samples from members of houses suspected of having influenza symptoms," the official added.

The survey will be extended to other parts of the state from which swine flu cases have been reported.

In Andhra Pradesh, Health Minister D. Nagender told reporters that an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, who is a collector of a district, had tested positive for swine flu.

He declined to reveal the official's name but some TV channels identified him as Nalgonda district collector S.A.M. Rizvi. He is being shifted to Hyderabad for treatment.

The health minister said it has been decided to set up six more screening centres in Hyderabad besides one screening centre in each district.

Chief Minister K. Rosaiah, who reviewed the situation at the Gandhi Hospital Sunday, said that in view of the high cost of testing - almost Rs.9,000 per individual, the government has decided to include swine flu in the package of Aarogyasri, the health insurance scheme for the poor.

Health Secretary L.V. Subramanyam said that as the majority of the 319 people found infected were poor, the government has decided to include it in the Aarogyasri package. "This package enables even the BPL (below poverty line) ration-card holders to take swine flu treatment which costs upto Rs.60,000 per person."

The fresh swine flu cases were reported from Delhi (85), Maharashtra (49), Tamil Nadu (31), Haryana (24) and Karnataka (14).

--IANS

http://www.newkerala.com/nkfullnews-1-111896.html

[Auburn Boy]

http://www.newkerala.com/nkfullnews-1-112679.html

India's swine flu toll goes up to 201

New Delhi, Sep 15 : Eight deaths due to swine flu were reported Tuesday from various states, pushing up India's Influenza A (H1N1) toll to 201, health officials said here.




Also, 229 fresh swine flu cases were reported in the country, taking the total number of people affected so far with the flu to 6,588.

In Maharashtra, five patients died (3 in Pune and one each in Mumbai and Nagpur), while two deaths were reported in Delhi and one death in Gujarat (Surat).

In the national capital, the two deaths included a 26-year-old man who was admitted to a Delhi government hospital and died of respiratory failure Saturday, officials said.

The city had Monday reported 70 fresh cases of the H1N1 virus, of which 42 were children.

According to Delhi Health Minister Kiran Walia, the capital has seen 1,421 swine flu cases till date. Of these, 1,262 have been treated and discharged.


--IANS


Comment: that was pretty LAME blaming IT professionals for spreading the disease in that prior post..,

[Malcolm]

www.hindu.com/2009/09/15/stories/2009091557570100.htm
Indian doctors suspect the H1N1 has mutated: patients are dieing in 24Hrs!!!!

[Amberglass]

Indian doctors suspect the H1N1 has mutated: patients are dieing in 24Hrs!!!!


:eek: :panic: :runforhills:

[caonacl]

www.hindu.com/2009/09/15/stories/2009091557570100.htm (http://www.hindu.com/2009/09/15/stories/2009091557570100.htm)
Indian doctors suspect the H1N1 has mutated: patients are dieing in 24Hrs!!!!

The Spanish Flu has returned.

[Auburn Boy]

www.hindu.com/2009/09/15/stories/2009091557570100.htm
Indian doctors suspect the H1N1 has mutated: patients are dieing in 24Hrs!!!!

Thee may well be something odd afoot!!

US conference give some French scientist the idea that some cases in the US were fatal due to a mutated form.

CDC bigwhig states lung damage from H1N1 looks like that from "H5N1 on steroids."

And Brits have study showing differing symptoms in children.

Now Indian docs say 24 hours until death.

And we've got some cases of kids in the U.S who die in just mere days...,

:eek: is in order??? Hmmmm...,

[drummagick]

:eek: :panic: :runforhills:


and don't forget http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b142/drummagick/smilies/scared.gif and http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b142/drummagick/smilies/frantic.gif

[Auburn Boy]

Add to the :eek: factor..,

http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Killer+virus+claims+2+more+lives; +toll+rises+12&artid=Iiu9bPepGHI=

Killer virus claims 2 more lives; toll rises 12


Express News Service First Published : 16 Sep 2009 07:34:47 AM ISTLast Updated : 16 Sep 2009 10:50:38 AM IST

HYDERABAD: Two more died of swine flu here on Tuesday, taking its toll to 12 in the State and in an alarming development, three nurses and 14 junior doctors contracted the virus. Two others too died due to flu-like symptoms but there was no official confirmation of the same. Of the two, who succumbed to the infection, one was a 27-year-old woman from Jangaon, Warangal district. Identified as Santoshi, she died within minutes after being admitted to the Gandhi Hospital. Doctors said she had approached them about a week ago but was then shifted to a private hospital. She was brought back to the Gandhi Hospital with multi-organ disfunction and respiratory problems.


The second victim was a homeguard, Madan Kumar, who was admitted to a private hospital at LB Nagar a couple of days ago. He died this evening. Meanwhile, it seems there is no safety for doctors and nurses leave alone patients at the Chest and Gandhi hospitals with the authorities concerned failing to supply even protective gear.

Three nurses, two of the Gandhi Hospital and one of the Chest Hospital, contracted the virus on Tuesday and are under treatment at the same hospitals. Sources said the nurses were not provided masks, hand-gloves and the like while attending to suspected swine flu patients.
‘‘None of the hospital officials is taking minimum safety measures suggested by the World Health Organisation. We ourselves haven’t seen how the prescribed N95 masks look like! We are forced to buy surgical masks ourselves but they are not effective,’’ said Dr Raghu Kishore, president of the Andhra Pradesh Junior Doctors’ Association.

According to him, five junior doctors at the Gandhi Hospital and nine from the Osmania Hospital tested positive for influenza A H1N1.

Pretty soon they'll have medicos walking off the job!!

[CanadaSue]

India seeing a lot of cases including some who APPARENTLY get sick & die within 24 hours doesn't overly excite me - the whole third world thing...

Novel strain, novel presentatons & novel progression in SOME cases - it's to be expected.

HOWEVER, sequencing is needed post haste.

[Kassy]

India to produce raw material for swine flu drug, toll touches 220

New Delhi, Sep 17: India is working overtime to come out with a swine flu vaccine and will soon produce the raw material used in the anti-flu drug, the government said Thursday as eight more people died of the influenza A (H1N1) virus, taking the toll to 220.

Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said "India is taking prompt and proactive measures to delay and limit the spread of the diseases and also to build capacity to mitigate the impact of the pandemic."

He said India was among the first few countries to stake claim to produce the vaccine.

"Three companies - Serum Institute, Panaxea Bio-Tech and Bhatat Biotech are working on this and the government has given Rs.100 million each to these institutes," he told reporters here.

"The vaccine is likely to be available by April next year," he added.

He said the ministry is also in touch with multinational companies working on producing the swine flu vaccine. "We are in touch with them and will import the vaccine if they prepare it first," he added.

Azad said presently there are 53 laboratories - 31 government and 22 private - that are conducting the H1N1 tests, as compared to two when the flu was first reported in India on May 16.

Of these, 34 labs - 22 government and 12 private - are operational.

The government has also increased its medicine stockpile with 10 million Oseltamivir capsules, one of the anti-influenza drugs, to 40 million capsules, and 450,000 bottles of Oseltamivir syrup.

"We have also permitted regulated sale and distribution of Oseltamivir and Zanamivir. Both these drugs will be available in retail markets against proper medical prescription from chemists having a license," he said.

He said India will soon produce raw material for Oseltamivir, one of the drugs used in treatment of Influenza A (H1N1) virus. This will help bring down the cost of the drug.

"We have decided to allow indigenous production of shikimic acid," Azad said.

Shikimic acid, a white crystalline compound of nonnitrogenous acid found in various plants naturally, is needed to produce Oseltamivir. India is currently importing it.

Azad said an expert group has been constituted at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to oversee the process.

He said proposals were received from various Indian institutions and the ministry has given approval to four of them.

ICMR Director General V.M. Katoch said the council has approved proposals from four institutes, including Delhi University, and Indian Institutes of Technology at Delhi and Mumbai.

He said China is also working on producing the natural source for the antivirals that can combat the H1N1 influenza virus.

"Our prices will of course be cheaper. We will be competing," he added.

Currently, a 10-tablet strip of the drug costs Rs.280 in the open market.

On Thursday, health authorities said six people died of swine flu in Hyderabad. They had died between Sep 13 to 15. But it was confirmed only on Thursday.

Two deaths were reported from Karnataka, taking the total number of deaths due to H1N1 virus to 73. While one patient died in Bangalore, the other death was registered in Bijapur.

A 35-year old-man admitted to a private hospital in Bangalore on Sep 9 died on Sep 15, and a 40-year-old woman admitted on Sep 11 to a private hospital in Bijapur succumbed the next day. However, the report confirming that they died of flu was received on Sep 16.

"Till date, samples from 31,517 people have been tested for influenza A (H1N1) in government laboratories and a few private labs across the country and 7,008 of them have been found poisitive," a statement issued here said.

Meanwhile, 208 fresh cases were reported in the country, taking the total number of affected people to 7,008.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), about 277,607 confirmed swine flu cases have been reported globally, while there have been 3,205 deaths in 190

countries, mostly from Mexico and the US.

http://www.newkerala.com/nkfullnews-1-114145.html

[Kassy]

71 kids among 103 new swine flu cases

TNN 17 September 2009, 11:52pm IST


NEW DELHI: The capital reported 103 positive swine flu cases on Thursday, raising the total number of cases in the city to 1,589. Of the 103 that
tested positive, 71 are children. This is the highest number of swine flu cases reported in a day ever since the pandemic hit the capital in June.

"The number of cases are drastically increasing. But none of the 71 children tested positive is serious. A majority of the infected children have been advised home quarantine and some of them have already recovered. At present we have 187 patients and a large number of them are children,'' said Dr Anjan Prakash, nodal officer, Delhi government.

Paediatricians claim that children are a vulnerable lot. Apart from taking basic precautions like washing hands at frequent intervals, avoiding crowded places etc, nothing much can be done to prevent them from getting infected.

"The respiratory tract in children is in growing stages, that is why upper respiratory infections are very common among children. Adding to the problem is their weak immune system. The infection is widespread, so it is difficult to contain it. But one should take preventive measures,'' said Dr VK Paul, head of the department paediatrics, AIIMS.


http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/city/delhi/71-kids-among-103-new-swine-flu-cases/articleshow/5024156.cms

[caonacl]

Cow Urine, Herbal Remedies Gain as India Swine Flu Deaths Climb

By Saikat Chatterjee and Arush Chopra
Sept. 4 (Bloomberg) -- The rising death toll from swine flu in India is driving some people to buy remedies made of cow- urine extract, clarified butter and herbal potions to ward off the disease, as the government restricts Tamiflu and other drugs.

Since India reported its first swine flu death in the western city of Pune on Aug. 3, more than 100 people have died from the virus. The government is controlling access to Roche AG’s Tamiflu antiviral to ensure hospital supplies in case of an epidemic. Residents have switched to traditional Ayurvedic healing, used for hundreds of years to boost immunity, as well as unproven remedies being sold to take advantage of the outbreak, doctors say.

“Everybody wants to make money,” said Dr. Kalyan Banerjee, president of the Maharashtra Association for the Cultivation of Science and former director of the National Institute of Virology. “The problem is basically of regulation. There is no system. Everybody can say what they want.”

The emergence of unproven treatments underscores the difficulty authorities face in controlling the new H1N1 virus in a country where health-care spending ranks among the bottom 50 worldwide. Sales of traditional medicine in the nation are about $1.6 billion annually and growing at as much as 12 percent a year, according to a study by the health ministry’s National Medicinal Plants Board.

The health ministry department that deals with traditional medicines on Aug. 21 advised citizens with severe flu-like symptoms to visit designated hospitals for testing and treatment with drugs such as Tamiflu. The department said people with mild or no symptoms can take traditional medicines to boost their immunity.

Mind and Body
Annual flu epidemics result in about 3 million to 5 million cases of severe illness, and about 250,000 to 500,000 deaths, according to the World Health Organization.

Ayurveda, or science of life, is a holistic treatment that seeks to align a person’s body, mind and emotions with the aim of preventing illness. Fliers and e-mails promoting herbs and other traditional remedies have circulated since the swine flu deaths prompted authorities in the hardest hit cities of Pune and Mumbai to shut schools, cinemas and malls.

“Ayurveda is effective against many diseases,” said Mohan Rao, professor at the Center of social Medicine and Community Health at the New Delhi-based Jawaharlal Nehru University. “At times of crisis, some people will try to do whatever they can to make quick money.”

Go-Vigyan Anusandhan Kendra, a Nagpur, western India-based not-for-profit organization that calls itself a researcher of medicine based on cow products, said potions containing extracts of cow urine can ward off the flu.

Dung Drug
“Our medicines are effective against chronic illnesses such as tuberculosis and blood pressure and will strengthen the immunity of a person,” said Gopal Vohra, a vaidya, or Ayurvedic doctor, at Go-Vigyan Kendra. He said Panchyagavvya Ghrut, a mixture that includes cow urine, dung, curd, milk and ghee are among treatments by the group that can prevent the flu.

Other groups such as the New Delhi-based Dhyan Foundation, which teaches yoga, is asking people to snort warm cow ghee, or clarified butter, and massage their feet with mustard oil to develop immunity against the flu strain.

“I have nothing against traditional medicine but I think before anything can be prescribed to a patient, there should be an adequate evidence to prove the claim,” Rahul Nagpal, head of the pediatrics department at Max Healthcare hospital in Saket, New Delhi, said by phone. Max Healthcare, a unit of Max India Ltd., runs a chain of eight hospitals and clinics in New Delhi and its suburbs.

State health ministers asked the federal government on Aug. 21 to ensure that unverified drugs aren’t sold.

Kerala Clinic
The number of patients seeking precautionary medicines has increased 15 percent to 20 percent within the past two to three weeks, said K.

Anilkumar, an executive director at Kerala Ayurveda Ltd., which processes herbal medicines and operates Ayurvedic clinics. Sales at its stores have risen as much as 10 percent in the period, he said last month.

“Proper immunity has to be kept so that you do not catch the disease,” Mandip Kaur, a lecturer at Gujarat Ayurved University’s Institute for Post-Graduate teaching and research in Ayurveda, said by telephone. “In Ayurveda, we have many drugs which make your system strong.”

Before swine flu claimed its first victim in India, the nation’s Central Drug Standard Control Organization asked officials to ensure Tamiflu and its generic versions are only imported by the government.
Tamiflu Resistance

The drug was being sold at “very high” prices according to media reports, it said. Indiscriminate use of the antiviral may result in the virus developing resistance, making the fight against the disease tougher.

Common herbs such as tulsi, or holy basil, worshipped by Hindus and commonly grown in many homes, have been used in Ayurvedic treatments to fight ailments such as fever, cough and the common cold.

“I’m drinking tulsi juice since I heard a neighbor was suspected of getting swine flu,” said Manoj Gupta, a Delhi resident. “It’s natural to be a bit worried with all the media reports that are coming in about the flu. Hopefully, this will be able to protect me.”
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601091&sid=arn2dLln.SPU (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601091&sid=arn2dLln.SPU)

[Kassy]

Anti-swine flu drug 'FLUVIR' now available in India

FLUVIR, the first anti-swine flu drug, was on Tuesday launched in the retail markets across the country.

An Indian drug manufacturer, Hetero Healthcare Limited, announced the launch of 'FLUVIR', Oseltamivir drug similar to Tamiflu in the retail market.

The launch of the drug came at a time when the deadly virus has claimed 257 lives and affected 8,153 people in the country.

Before the Government notification allowing retail sale of anti-viral drug Oseltamivir, the Centre procured 19 million FLUVIR capsules from Hetero to check the recent outbreak of deadly H1N1 flu in India, Marketing Director, Hetero Srinivas Reddy claimed.

FLUVIR, which was available only through government hospitals, will now be available in around 480 designated medical shops having Schedule X licence across the country, he said.

Hetero is the only Indian pharma company to have the licensing rights from Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd to manufacture and supply Oseltamivir (generic name of anti H1N1flu drug) in India as well as in other 100 underdeveloped and developing countries.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Anti-swine-flu-drug-FLUVIR-now-available-in-India/H1-Article1-456914.aspx

[Kassy]

Five deaths take India's swine flu toll to 262

New Delhi, Sep 22 : Five swine flu deaths, including three in Karnataka, were reported Tuesday, taking India's total toll due to the contagious influenza A (H1N1) virus to 262, health authorities said here.

Also, 324 new swine flu cases were reported in the country, taking the total number of people affected so far to 8,477.

According to health ministry officials, the three deaths in Karnataka were reported between Sep 18-19. "The laboratory confirmation (received Tuesday) showed that all the deaths were due to swine flu," an official said here.

With this, Karnataka's toll has reached 82.

Delhi recorded one death Tuesday.

A 20-year-old woman, who was admitted to the Safdarjung Hospital in New Delhi, succumbed to the virus,state nodal officer Anjan Prakash told IANS. With this death, the toll in the Indian capital has gone up to nine.

Maharashtra, which tops the list of swine flu deaths and cases in the country, also reported one death, taking its total number of deaths to 107.

The officials said one death was reported from Gujarat, but it was yet to be confirmed if the patient died due to the virus.

In Ghaziabad, neighbouring the national capital, a public school had to close down its primary section after two students were reported to be affected with the flu.

"Two students were reported to be infected with the virus. Both are now fine and responding well to the treatment in Delhi hospitals. As a precautionary measure, we have closed down the primary section till Sep 28," said school principal Meeta Rai of Delhi Public School at Indirapuram.

As per school officials, there are around 3,000 students in the primary wing of the school.

As Karnataka is seeing a surge in swine flu deaths, authorities are now planning clinical audits.

"The purpose behind the clinical audit is to find the actual causes behind the death of 80 people due to H1N1 influenza in the state," Usha Vasunkar, director of Karnataka's Health and Family Services, told IANS.

"We've taken a decision to have a clinical audit on Monday. During our earlier survey, we found that 40 percent of the swine flu victims had co-morbid factors (pre-existing illness) and many died due to late admission. However, the audit will give a clear picture of the actual cause for deaths," she added.

The profile of each victim, which includes name, age, sex, symptoms and cause of death, will be studied by a panel of experts during the clinical audit.

Of Tuesday's 324 new cases, the national capital recorded as many as 108 cases.

According to Delhi Health Minister Kiran Walia, 2,065 people have so far been admitted and treated in Delhi government hospitals. "More than 90 percent of these patients have been successfully treated and discharged," she said.

As many as 1,018 children have been treated for influenza A (H1N1).

The Delhi government, meanwhile, also announced that Tamiflu, the anti-influenza medicine, will be sold at authorised retail chemists. The central government had last week allowed "restricted sale" of Tamiflu through over 500 chemists.

The decision to alow Tamiflu sales was taken during a meeting held by Walia after the state government received notification from the central government.

"The government has implemented the notification of the Indian government to allow sale of Tamiflu at the authorized outlets of authorized Schedule 'X' chemists in the capital to facilitate the patients of swine flu as well as to curb the swine flu epidemic," Walia said.

Swine flu cases were also detected in Maharashtra (67), Tamil Nadu (43), Andhra Pradesh (28), Karnataka (20), Gujarat (2) and Haryana (1).

--IANS

http://www.newkerala.com/nkfullnews-1-117105.html

[Kassy]

Delhi swine flu toll goes up to 11

NEW DELHI: A 55-year-old woman died in LNJP Hospital here on Saturday morning, taking the swine flu death toll in the Capital so far to 11.

The patient was brought to the Hospital on September 15 and was immediately put on a ventilator. “Her condition, however, continued to deteriorate and she died on Saturday morning,” said Delhi Health Minister Kiran Walia.

The Capital reported 74 new cases of swine flu on Saturday, 39 of them children.

The State Health Department has started training medical personnel from private hospitals to ensure that patients can be treated there. “We are looking at involving private hospitals to take on the patient load. The hospitals have been asked to prepare themselves to admit and treat swine flu patients and to ensure that they have adequately trained staff to handle the situation.”

http://www.hindu.com/2009/09/27/stories/2009092760020300.htm

[Kassy]

Five more deaths take India's swine flu toll to 290

New Delhi, Sep 26 : Five more swine flu deaths - four in Karnataka and one in Andhra Pradesh - were reported Saturday, taking India's toll due to the influenza A (H1N1) virus to 290, health authorities said here.

Three more suspected swine flu deaths have been reported from Andhra Pradesh, but officials said they were awaiting the laboratory reports for confirmation.

Meanwhile, 208 fresh swine flu cases were reported in the country, taking the total number of people infected with the flu to 9,492.

The fresh cases were reported from Delhi (66), Tamil Nadu (32), Maharashtra (32), Andhra Pradesh (24), Karnataka (18), Kerala (13) and Haryana (13).

Globally, a total of 3,917 people have died of H1N1 since the outbreak of the viral disease in April, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said in a latest update.

Of all the deaths, 2,948 occurred in the Americas, followed by 362 deaths in the West Pacific region. The other four WHO regional offices in Southeast Asia, Europe, East Mediterranean and Africa reported 340, 154, 72 and 41 deaths respectively.

The WHO, which declared a swine flu pandemic in June, said the total number of laboratory confirmed cases worldwide is now over 318,925, but this estimate is significantly lower than the actual number of cases that have occurred, as many countries have stopped testing and reporting individual cases, particularly the milder ones.

Saudi Arabian has written to several swine flu-affected countries, including India, advising those at a high risk of catching swine flu, like children, pregnant women and people suffering from chronic ailments, to avoid Haj pilgrimage and help curb the spread of the pandemic.

"Ministry of Health, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, recommends that elderly, pregnant women, people with chronic diseases and children should postpone the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages this year for their own safety," the advisory from Saudi Arabia said.

According to India's health ministry, those wishing to go on the pilgrimage would be medically examined for the symptoms of influenza A (H1N1) at the point of embarkation, that is at the place where booking of pilgrims takes place in their respective states.

--IANS

http://www.newkerala.com/nkfullnews-1-119704.html

[Kassy]

Swine flu deaths cross 300 in India

More than 300 people have died from swine flu in India since the first fatality was reported on August 3, a health ministry statement said Monday.

Western Maharashtra state has seen the largest number, with 118 deaths from the influenza A(H1N1) virus, the statement said.

On top of the 302 deaths, another 9,871 people have tested positive for swine flu across India since it was first detected in the country in May, it added.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/155491/swine-flu-deaths-cross-300-in-india

[Kassy]

H1N1 kills 3, city braces for 2nd wave

MUMBAI: The city and its suburbs registered three deaths due to H1N1 even as the state announced steps to contain a possible second wave of the
swine flu epidemic in winter. The state also presented an analysis of H1N1 deaths that suggested unlike in the West where the elderly were vulnerable people in the productive age group of 16 to 46 were hit worst in Maharashtra.

The city H1N1 update, meanwhile, said that a 22-year-old pregnant woman from Mira-Bhayander, Sharada Bhanushali, passed away on Sunday after spending over 17 days in hospital. An 11-month-old boy, identified only as Jayesh from Neral, died at KEM Hospital on Saturday and four-year-old Aniket Ved died at MGM Hospital in Kamothe on Tuesday, taking the Mumbai Metropolitan Region toll to 30.

BMC chief health officer Jairaj Thanekar said: "Swine flu seems mainly under control but these deaths reveal that vulnerable groups such as children and pregnant women are still susceptible.'' Any fever should not be ignored in these groups, he added.

Additional chief secretary (health) Sharwaree Gokhale, said at a press briefing that the state was educating medical staff, increasing accessibility to Tamiflu (the antiviral drug against H1N1) and buying equipment in a bid to contain a possible second wave of swine flu. "We have approved the sale of Tamiflu at 122 wholesalers and 408 retailers across the state apart from the state and corporation centres that provide the drug,'' she said.

Doctors are being trained and 30 ventilators have already been commissioned in various hospitals-cum-isolation centres across the state. "We are in the process of acquiring 30 more ventilators,'' she said.

The state has registered 123 deaths, with 30 in Mumbai and 62 in Pune.

H1N1 & PRODUCTIVE AGE GROUPS

Gokhale provided a detailed analysis of 117 deaths since August 3. "Of these, 70 were in the 16-45 age group,'' she said. Other groups included 14 children in the 0-5 age group, 10 in the 6-15 age group and 22 in the 46-65 age group. "In Maharashtra, maximum deaths are seen in the productive age group of 15-45 age group. This in a contrast to the Western countries where maximum deaths are seen in the elderly,'' she said.

GENDER DIVIDE

More women than men have fallen prey to H1N1 in the city but state-wide statistics show that H1N1 has claimed an equal number from both sexes. Gokhale provided data of 120 deaths, stating that 69 were men and 51 were women.

DELAY IN TREATMENT

Doctors have held that patients who were started on Tamiflu within 28 hours of onset of symptoms have had a better chance of recovery. Gokhale said that an analysis of 95 deaths on the basis of the time lag between the onset of disease and the date of admission showed that most had turned for help only on the fourth day. "Four deaths occurred on the same day as onset of symptom, 10 after two days, 14 after three days, 26 after four days,'' she said. Eleven deaths occurred after five days of onset of symptoms, nine after six days, 11 after seven days and 14 after eight days.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/city/mumbai/H1N1-kills-3-city-braces-for-2nd-wave/articleshow/5069818.cms

[Kassy]

India's swine flu toll jumps to 329


New Delhi, Oct 1: Thirteen swine flu deaths, 10 in Maharashtra alone, were reported Thursday in the country, taking the total toll to 329, health authorities said here.

Also, a record 142 fresh cases were reported in the country, taking the number of people affected with the flu to 10,375.

While three deaths were reported from Maharashtra, that tops the chart of recording the maximum deaths in the country Thursday, seven deaths that had occurred earlier were found to be due to the contagious virus, health authorities said. The seven deaths in the state were reported between Sep 26 to 29.

"The laboratory confirmation came Thursday, which showed that all these deaths were because of the flu," an official said.

With these ten deaths, the toll in the state has gone up to 130 - the highest in the country.

In Andhra Pradesh, two people died due to the flu, taking the total toll in the southern state to 36. The two people had died Wednesday, but laboratory confirmation came Thursday.

One death was also reported in the Indian capital. With this, the toll in the state state has gone up to 14.

Three suspected deaths were also reported from Gujarat, but officials said they are awaiting the laboratory reports for confirmation.

"Till date, samples from 43,421 people have been tested for Influenza A (H1N1) in government laboratories and a few private laboratories across the country and 10,375 of them have been found positive," a statement issued here said.

The national capital reported the maximum fresh cases Thursday. A total of 39 people were tested positive for the flu in Delhi, followed by Maharashtra where 35 people were detected with the virus.

The other states were - Tamil Nadu (18), Karnataka (12), Haryana (12), Andhra Pradesh (10), Kerala (nine), Uttar Pradesh (six) and Gujarat (one).

--IANS

http://www.newkerala.com/nkfullnews-1-122872.html

[Kassy]

Dip in swine flu cases


Express News Service
First Published : 04 Oct 2009 11:36:30 AM IST
Last Updated :

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A day after a person died and a record 22 people were tested positive for swine flu, the state witnessed a relative dip in positive cases. On Saturday, only seven people in the state were identified as positive, taking the total number of swine flu patients in the state to 545.

Shafeeq, 27, from Perumbavoor, had died on October 2 at the Ernakulam Cooperative Medical College Hospital. Shafeeq had been referred to the tertiary care centre following fever and respiratory disease. The results of his swab samples, which was received from the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology on Saturday, confirmed that he had been infected by the H1N1 Influenza virus.

Of the seven that were tested positive on Saturday, four were reported from Thiruvananthapuram district, two from Thrissur and one from Kozhikode.

Two new cases were admitted to the tertiary care centres in the state.

http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Dip+in+swine+flu+cases&artid=UsZqZeAmSv8=

[Kassy]

Wet spell: officials fear spurt in swine flu cases

HYDERABAD: Unseasonal showers in the districts and State capital can trigger a surge of fresh cases of viral fevers and could play a role in intensifying swine flu pandemic, health officials on Saturday warned. The dry and cold spell after the rains will give all viral forms including H1N1 congenial conditions to stay longer in the atmosphere and start spreading, many believe.

While the number of swine flu cases continued to decrease, on Saturday authorities confirmed 14 new swine flu cases, a H1N1 death has been reported from Visakhapatnam.

The victim, Venkat Satya Jagdesswara Rao (39), passed away in Visakhapatnam in the early hours of Saturday.

Another woman Veeramma died at Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Science (RIMS) with suspected swine flu symptoms. Authorities, however, said that the cause of the woman’s death is yet to be ascertained.
Death toll 37

The total death toll due to swine flu is now 37 and the number of swine flu positive cases so far is 629.

The Institute of Preventive (IPM) had tested 75 samples of which 14 are positive.

“Public should continue to take precautions because the dry and cold spell, which will follow rains, are ideal for transfer and growth of viral forms,” said State coordinator for swine flu Dr. K. Subhakar.

Till a week back, on an average, the number of cases testing positive for swine flu used to hover around 50 to 55 cases in a day.

However, since then, the average number has come down to 12 H1N1 positive cases a day. “Public should precautionary measures when the dry and cold spell will follow rains,” Dr. Subhakar warned.

Meanwhile, the district health authorities informed that a special health camp would be organise for women prisoners at Chanchalguda jail.

“The medical camp is aimed to provide medical facilities to all kinds of ailments for woman inmates in the prison,” District Medical and Health Officer (DM&HO) Dr. Ch. Jaya Kumari said.

http://www.hindu.com/2009/10/03/stories/2009100354660500.htm

[Kassy]

Monday,5 October 2009 21:26 hrs IST

Two more persons succumb to swine flu


Thiruvananthapuram: With two more persons succumbing to swine flu, the toll in the pandemic in Kerala has gone up to eight. A 38-year-old woman Latha Soman succumbed to the virus at a private hospital in Kochi Monday and a 21-year-old women, who was under treatment for swine flu in a government hospital died on Sunday, an official release said.

Meanwhile, nine persons - seven from Thiruvanathapuram and two from Pathanamthitta - tested positive for the virus, taking the total number of confirmed cases to 567.

http://www.manoramaonline.com/cgi-bin/MMOnline.dll/portal/ep/contentView.do?contentType=EDITORIAL&programId=1073750969&articleType=&contentId=6059651

[Kassy]

Karnataka Swine flu death toll touches 100 in State

Staff Reporter

Bangalore: With two more swine flu deaths reported in the State, the death toll touched 100 on Tuesday. Of these nearly 70 are from Bangalore. The fresh fatalities are that of an 18-year-old youth and a 38-year-old woman, who died in private and government hospitals on October 3 and 5 respectively. Meanwhile, 27 more cases have tested positive for the disease taking the total number of confirmed cases to 1,113.

http://www.hindu.com/2009/10/07/stories/2009100760840400.htm

[Kassy]

Four swine flu deaths take India's toll to 385


IANS 11 October 2009

NEW DELHI: Four swine flu deaths, two in Maharashtra and two in Karnataka, were reported on Sunday, taking India's death toll due to the pandemic
to 389, the health ministry said Sunday.

With labaratory conformation of the two deaths in Maharashtra, the western state has reported 160 deaths so far, the highest in the country. The two deaths in Karnataka took the state's toll to 110.

As many as 96 fresh cases were reported during the day, taking the total number of those infected with the flu to 11,874. Two of these cases have a foreign travel history, and the rest are indigenous cases.

India reported its first swine flu case early May from Hyderabad.

Among the fresh cases, Maharashtra accounted for the highest number (44), followed by Delhi (24) and Kerala (9).

Maharashtra also tops the infection list with a total of 3,321 cases of those infected so far, followed by 3,046 in Delhi and 1,373 in Tamil Nadu.

The health ministry said that "till date, samples of 50,049 persons have been tested for influenza A (H1N1) in government laboratories and 23.7 percent of them have been found positive".

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Four-swine-flu-deaths-take-Indias-toll-to-385-/articleshow/5112958.cms

[Kassy]

2 more die of swine flu in Visakhapatnam

Staff Reporter

VISAKHAPATNAM: Two more deaths due to swine flu were reported taking the total number of the fever victims in the city to three.

Venkatesh, 14, of Kirlampudi layout died three days ago and his throat swab samples sent to Hyderabad confirmed that he had suffered from swine flu, DM&HO J. Sarojini said. He was a paper boy of Kirlampudi layout. Another death, that of Jagga Rao of Prasad Gardens, a slum in the One Town area, occurred on Saturday. The DM&HO said both the patients got admitted to the Government Hospital for Chest Diseases in a bad condition.

http://www.hindu.com/2009/10/19/stories/2009101954610500.htm

[Kassy]

Hospitals cold shoulder H1N1 suspects

AHMEDABAD: If you turn up as a suspected H1N1 patient in some of the private city hospitals designated for swine flu treatment, it's quite
certain that they might turn you away and suggest you go to Civil Hospital.

These private hospitals are supposed to provide you critical care and extend ventilator facilities in a case of acute lower respiratory infections. Interestingly, of the 82-odd swine flu cases in the city, 47 belong to the posh west and new west zones where most of these designated private hospitals are located.

As flu continues its deadly march, such an indifferent approach by the hospitals will only add to the growing number of H1N1 victims in the city more so when winters are approaching.

TOI reporters visited some of the designated private hospitals posing as relatives of a suspected swine flu patient seeking a special isolated bed. The administration of these hospitals slyly asked them to leave the place and consult the Civil Hospital authorities. They had innovative ways of refusing patients it was either lack of respiratory ventilators or all beds occupied by regular patients.

In Shrey Hospital, a senior doctor informed TOI that since the hospital did not receive any suspected swine patients, the beds have been allotted to others. The doctor said that Sterling Hospital and Civil Hospital are the best option as they have testing as well as isolation facilities.

In Karnavati Hospital at Ellisbridge, patients are turned away at the patient's case counter where officials tell you that had the symptoms been of category A, they would have admitted him or her. They will add that since the patient has developed lower respiratory infections, Civil Hospital is the only option.

In Jivraj Hospital, a senior doctor, who refused to identify himself, said that since Civil Hospital has testing facility, the patient should be taken there.

When contacted, medical superintendent of Jivraj Hospital Himanshu Sagar said, "I will enquire into this. We have been designated by the government and we have beds reserved for swine flu."

Karnavati Hospital's representative Dr Ashok Khatri said, "No staff is supposed to refuse any swine flu patient."

"Hospitals approved for swine flu treatment by the government have to admit patients. If a hospital is caught refusing patients, we will take stern action against it. We would require a written complaint to book the hospital," said principal secretary health Ravi Saxena.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Hospitals-cold-shoulder-H1N1-suspects/articleshow/5136648.cms

[Kassy]

Four swine flu deaths take India's toll to 431

New Delhi, Oct 22: Four swine flu deaths were reported in India Thursday, taking the toll due to Influenza A (H1N1) virus to 431.

Also, 112 new cases were reported in the country, taking the total number of people affected with the flu to 13,142, health authorities said here.

While two deaths were reported from Maharashtra, which reports the maximum number of deaths and cases in the country, one death was recorded in Andhra Pradesh.

With the two deaths, the total toll in Maharashtra has gone up to 185 - the highest in the country. In Andhra Pradesh so far 45 people have succumbed to the contagious virus.

Officials said a swine flu patient who was shifted from Orissa to the Apollo Hospital in New Delhi earlier this week died Thursday.

A.K. Banwar was shifted to the Apollo Hospital Oct 18 after his condition deteriorated at Ispat General Hospital at Rourkela, some 515 km from here.

"Banwar died today (Thursday) in Delhi," Orissa's Joint Director of Department of Health Bikash Patnaik told IANS.

Of the new cases, 30 alone were reported from Kerala, followed closely by Delhi at 29. The Indian capital has recorded 16 deaths and over 3,300 positive cases.

Delhi records the second highest number of swine flu cases, while Maharashtra tops the list with 3,536 cases, officials said.

The new cases were also reported from Maharashtra (23), Tamil Nadu (14), Uttar Pradesh (four), Haryana (three), Andhra Pradesh (three).

--IANS

http://www.newkerala.com/nkfullnews-1-136241.html

[Kassy]

Two more deaths take India's swine flu toll to 465


New Delhi, Oct 30 : Two more swine flu deaths were reported in India Friday, taking the total toll in the country due to Influenza A (H1N1) virus to 465, health authorities said here.

Also, 62 new cases were reported in the country, taking the total number of people affected with the flu to 13,784.
Among those tested positive for the contagious flu Friday is Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who returned to the state Wednesday from a visit to Russia.
He has been quarantined for a week and officials, businessmen and others who have interacted with him recently have been advised medical caution.
The 60-year-old Modi's sample was found positive at the government civil hospital in Ahmedabad, doctor Atul Patel said.

The chief minister, who returned from his four-day visit, had worked through Thursday, attending his official engagements
despite feeling tired and coughing frequently.

But on Friday, the doctors confirmed that he has contracted the H1N1 virus. Modi has a team of doctors attending on him at his official residence and all his appointments have been cancelled.

Gujarat has so far seen 40 swine flu deaths and over 270 cases.

On Friday, one person died of the flu in the state, authorities said here.

One death was also reported from Andhra Pradesh. With this, the total toll in the southern state has touched seven.
“Till date, samples from 72,838 people have been tested for Influenza A (H1N1) in government laboratories and a few private Laboratories
across the country and 13,784 of them have been found positive,” said a statement issued here.

Of the 62 new cases, 21 were from Kerala alone.
Maharashtra continues to report new cases. On Friday, 12 new cases were reported, taking the total number of people affected with the virus to 3,636 - the highest in the country.

In the state, 197 people have succumbed to swine flu so far. It is the highest in the country.

New cases were also reported from Delhi where three people were tested positive for the flu. With this, the total cases went up to 3,426, while 16 people have died so far in the Indian capital.

New cases were also reported from Karnataka (15), Tamil Nadu (7), Andhra Pradesh (2) and Rajasthan (1).

--IANS

http://www.newkerala.com/nkfullnews-1-141331.html

[Kassy]

128 fresh swine flu cases reported from across country


NEW DELHI: As many as 128 fresh swine flu infections were reported from across the country but there were no incidents of death due to the
disease.

The highest number of fresh infections was reported from Delhi (35) followed by Kerala (24), and Maharashtra (19), health officials said.

Of the total cases reported during the day, four have foreign travel history and the rest are indigenous.

Till date, samples from 75,132 people have been tested for swine flu out of which 18.9 per cent have been confirmed of the disease.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/128-fresh-swine-flu-cases-reported-from-across-country/articleshow/5200551.cms

[Kassy]

India's swine flu toll touches 502

NEW DELHI: Seventeen swine flu deaths, 15 of them from Rajasthan, were reported Monday, taking the country's toll to 502, health department officials said here.

While one death was reported Monday in Rajasthan, the rest 14 had occurred in the state earlier.

With these 15 deaths, the toll has jumped to 17 in Rajasthan where 101 people have been tested positive for the contagious flu so far.

"State health authorities of Rajasthan have communicated 14 deaths of laboratory confirmed cases from the various districts of Rajasthan," said an official here.

While six deaths occurred in Jaipur, five were reported from Jodhpur and three from Kota. These deaths had occurred between Oct 7 to Nov 7, the health ministry official said.

One death each was reported from Kerala and Orissa Monday. In Kerala, 21 people have succumbed to the virus, while for the first time one death was reported from Orissa, authorities said.

Also, 95 new cases were reported in the country, taking the total number of people affected with the flu to 14,572.

"Till date, samples from 76,450 people have been tested for Influenza A (H1N1) in government laboratories and a few private laboratories across the country, and 14,572 of them have been found positive," said a statement issued here.

Delhi recorded 19 new cases Monday. With this, the number of people affected with the flu has gone up to 3,623 - the second highest in the country. As many as 16 people have died due to the influenza in the national capital.

Maharashtra continues to report new cases. On Monday, 11 people were tested positive for the flu. With these, 3,727 people have been detected with the flu. As many as 207 people have died in the state.

New cases were also recorded from Tamil Nadu (16), Karnataka (three), Haryana (four) and Andhra Pradesh (one).

http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Indias+swine+flu+toll+touches+502&artid=TpPy5Hi1xeM=

[Kassy]

New wave of H1N1 cases hits Mumbai

TNN 18 November 2009, 07:33am IST


MUMBAI: A 54-year-old woman is in a critical condition in Nair Hospital’s special swine flu ICU. Besides this 12 persons tested positive for swine flu on Tuesday while five other are suspected to have the disease.

Experts have predicted a second wave of swine flu in winter, and countries such as the US are already in the grip of it. However, additional municipal commissioner Manisha Mhaiskar said that one patient on the ventilator could not be construed as a spike in swine flu cases. The last swine flu death in Mumbai was in the last week of September.

The BMC wants to ensure that the potential second wave is better managed. “We have trained doctors, our lab is close to completion, an ICU unit is in place and anganwadi workers have been trained to pick up cases,’’ Mhaiskar said.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/New-wave-of-H1N1-cases-hits-Mumbai/articleshow/5241834.cms

[Kassy]

India's swine flu toll touches 558

New Delhi, Nov 24: Three fresh swine flu deaths were reported in the country Tuesday, all from the state of Rajasthan, taking the toll due to Influenza A (H1N1) to 558 in India, a union health ministry statement said.

"Report of three deaths has been communicated by the health department of Rajasthan," the ministry statement said.

With these deaths, the toll in Rajasthan has gone up to 37. In a late surge in influenza A (H1N1), the desert state has been witnessing both infections and deaths off late. Also with 35 fresh cases, the state has so far reported 877 infections.

According to the union health ministry, 142 fresh cases were reported across the country. While Rajasthan reported the highest number of cases, Delhi followed the list with 30 new infections and Maharashtra reported 19 fresh cases.

Though there are no fresh deaths in Maharashtra, the state has witnessed 220 deaths, highest among the states. While Karnataka has 120 deaths, Andhra Pradesh is number three in death tally with 50 of its citizens succumbing to swine flu.

--IANS

http://www.newkerala.com/nkfullnews-1-157272.html

[Kassy]

Kashmir reports first swine flu death, India toll 699

A 21-year-old woman succumbed to swine flu in Srinagar, becoming the first victim of the H1N1 virus in Jammu and Kashmir. One death each in Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Gujarat during the day took India's toll from the virus to 699, health authorities said in New Delhi on Sunday.

Muskan from Tullamulla region in Kashmir was admitted to the Soura Medical Institute on December 1 after she developed acute respiratory distress. Doctors at the institute admitted her to the intensive care unit (ICU) and her samples were sent to Delhi for examination.

The woman, however, died on Saturday and a senior doctor of the institute confirmed that she had tested positive for swine flu. "We got the report and it is positive. The woman had reported at the institute with acute chest infection, distress and cold," the doctor said on Sunday.

With one death each in three other states, the casualty figure in Maharashtra has jumped to 240, 57 in Gujarat and 94 in Rajasthan. After Maharashtra, Karnataka with 123 deaths is number two in terms of toll from H1N1.

In Delhi, authorities said there are no fresh deaths but 95 fresh infections were reported throughout the day. With these, over 7,300 people have already been infected due to the virus, of which 39 have succumbed to it.

Seven more people, including two doctors of a premier hospital, have tested positive for swine flu in Chandigarh.

"We had collected the nasal and throat swab samples of these patients on Saturday morning and their reports have come positive. Among these positive cases, two are doctors working at PGIMER (Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research)," said GC Bansal, officiating nodal officer of swine flu in Chandigarh.

Besides, the union health ministry said there are 175 fresh cases across the country. Apart from 95 fresh cases in Delhi, there were 22 cases in Rajasthan, 15 in Haryana, 14 in Karnataka and 16 in Uttar Pradesh.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/newdelhi/Kashmir-reports-first-swine-flu-death-India-toll-699/Article1-486151.aspx

[Kassy]

Upsurge in H1N1 cases land city hospitals in fix


Simran Virk, TNN 4 January 2010, 10:10pm IST



LUDHIANA: The onslaught of swine flu continues in the city as new cases are pouring in city hospitals, however, the hospitals are unable to cope with the increasing number of swine flu patients as there is a need for more beds and isolation rooms. The patients’ relatives have to move from pillar to post to get their relatives examined. Till now, 204 swine flu cases have been reported in the state.

Though, to reduce the burden of private hospitals the state government has opened a 24-hour OPD for swine flu patients in the city, that has not served the purpose. The rise in swine flu cases due to winters has landed the health department in a chaotic situation. The government hospitals, not equipped to handle so many cases have to refer patients to private hospitals.

According to the information, there are 1,041 beds in the isolation rooms, out of these, 437 beds fall in the civil hospital, while 604 are in private hospitals. As far as ventilators are concerned, total 160 are available, out of this, 86 are in the government hospitals and 74 in private hospitals.

Dr Kamal Masih, medical superintendent, Christian Medical College and hospital said it is true that all the isolation wards are full. He said sometimes a patient comes with acute respiratory problem where he or she needs ventilator, however, due to the non-availability of bed or ventilator, the patient has to be referred to some other hospital.
Dr Masih added that two of the patients have been referred to another hospital, as the occupancy of the isolation rooms was full.

Echoing a similar view, Dr PS Bhatia, medical superintendent, Apollo Hospital said this was the situation in every hospital, nowadays. “Six beds include two for critically ill patients, while four accrue to only those who need isolation. These have been generally full as every day more than the capacity, four to five patients come in,” he said.

Dr GP Mangla, district epidemiologist, told the TOI that it was true that these days the hospitals were going through a tough time in admitting patients, as in every hospital the occupancy was 100%. Dr Mangla said that a couple of weeks back, in a meeting with the principal health secretary, the civil surgeon, Ludhiana, said it was very difficult to accommodate patients, as already the city population was booming and along with that burden of the surroundings areas was adding dimensions to the problem of city hospitals.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ludhiana/Upsurge-in-H1N1-cases-land-city-hospitals-in-fix/articleshow/5410843.cms

The city is in Punjab , in the north of India.

[Kassy]

60 percent of Delhi H1N1 patients are kids

NEW DELHI: Delhi reported eight new cases of swine flu Tuesday, taking the total number of infections from the pandemic virus so far to 9,570, nearly 60 percent of whom have been children.

"Of the eight cases, five are children," Anjana Prakash, Delhi's deputy nodal officer for swine flu, told IANS.

With these five children, the city has so far witnessed 5,330 kids being infected with the H1N1 virus.

"Yes, children are the worst sufferers. But fortunately the number of cases is going down and winter may be the reason behind it," Prakash added.

The deaths in the national capital due to swine flu remained unchanged at 87.

http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=60+percent+of+Delhi+H1N1+patients +are+kids&artid=EhITOiLYoww=

[Kassy]

2 more swine flu deaths in Gujarat, toll reaches 213

Two persons died of swine flu in Gujarat on Sunday taking the death toll so far to 213, while 11 new cases were reported from different parts of the state.

According to health department officials, Anand Mavjibhai (32) died of swine flu at PDU hospital in Rajkot while Pratap Gandabhai (35) died at general hospital in Bhavnagar.

In all 213 persons have died due to H1N1 virus while 1,144 people have tested positive with the infectious disease.

Today, new cases were reported from Vadodara,Junagadh, Jamnagar, Rajkot and Ahmedabad.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/2-more-swine-flu-deaths-in-Gujarat-toll-reaches-213/H1-Article1-501326.aspx

A local update...i hope to catch an 'all India' update sometime soon.

[Kassy]

Like...now:

India's swine flu deaths reach 561

New Delhi, Nov 26 : One swine flu death was reported Thursday from Punjab, taking the total toll in India to 561, health authorities said here.

Also, 260 new cases were reported in the country, taking the total number of people affected with the contagious flu to 17,486.

With Thursday's one death in Punjab, the toll in the state has gone up to three.

In the national capital, 82 new cases were reported Thursday, taking the total number of people affected by the influenza A (H1N1) virus to 4,593.

"There were 82 new cases of swine flu confirmed in Delhi today (Thursday). Of these, 63 are children. The cummulative now stands at 4,593 cases," Debashish Bhattacharya, state nodal officer for swine flu cases, told IANS.

Almost half - 2,603 - of those affected by the contagious disease are children, the official added.

Delhi also reports the highest number of cases in the country since it was first reported in India May 16. Maharashtra reports 3,933 cases, while 220 people have died in the state so far.

New cases were also reported from Haryana (72), Rajasthan (30), Tamil Nadu (33), Uttar Pradesh (19), Maharashtra (14), Kerala (6), Punjab (3) and Jammu and Kashmir (2).

--IANS

http://www.newkerala.com/nkfullnews-1-158872.html

[Kassy]

4 city hospitals get notice for not reporting swine flu cases

SURAT: For showing negligence in reporting suspected swine flu cases, show causes notices have been slapped on four private hospitals in the city. The hospitals have been strictly warned of legal action under section 188 of the Indian Penal Code if found guilty of the act again.

Epidemic control medical officer Dr Piyush Shah told TOI, "We issued notices to Ayush Hospital, Sanjivani Hospital both at Laldarwaja area, Apple Hospital of Udhna Darwaja and Girish Group of Hospitals located at Majura Gate area."

Three of them have replied stating that reporting was not done as it "went out of sight" and have assured that they will not repeat the mistake.

"One of the patients receiving treatment at Girish Group of Hospital is in serious condition and on ventilator. We will not tolerate such negligence on part of private medical care experts again," added Dr Shah.

Meanwhile, of the three suspected swine flu patients referred to New Civil Hospital, two were diagnosed positive on Friday evening taking the total number of positive patients to 137. The city has seen 23 deaths due to the pandemic till now.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/surat/4-city-hospitals-get-notice-for-not-reporting-swine-flu-cases/articleshow/5514823.cms

[Kassy]

5 suicides over weekend leave city shocked

JAIPUR: The peaceful Pink City woke up to a strange new reality: five suicides in the past 36 hours, an attempted suicide on Saturday night and a missing girl who’s left behind a note saying she’ll never be seen alive again.

The incidents were reported from areas like Sodala, Shyam Nagar, Jhotwara, Jawahar Circle and Karni Vihar, and involve two young students, a namkeen seller, a widow whose husband died of swine flu and a retired policeman who found the pain in his legs unbearable.

...

Anita Sharma, a 30-year-old widow living in Kanakpura in Karni Vihar area, also ended her life by consuming poison. Having lost her husband Harinarayan five months ago because of swine flu, Anita was reportedly depressed. A mother of two, Anita would often talk about how lonely she felt after her husband’s death, police claim.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/5-suicides-over-weekend-leave-city-shocked/articleshow/5544122.cms

[Kassy]

2 kids among 3 positive H1N1 cases in city


SURAT: Two children aged 4 and 6 and a 25-year-old woman were found infected with swine flu virus in the past two days in the city. The four-year-old baby girl and the woman have been admitted to Apple Hospital and the six-year-old boy is in Anand Hospital.

Most of the children, who have tested positive for swine flu, are below 10 and this is puzzling the authorities, who so far have no answer to this. A majority of those found to be infected with the virus in the city last month were children.

Dr Piyush Shah, nodal officer of health department, told TOI, "Among those infected with the virus, many were children below 10 years of age. This could be because common flu in winter among the children of this age group is common."

He added, "We don't have any answer immediately about why children below 10 are more susceptible to it."
A doctor at SMIMER Hospital also expressed similar view. He said it could be because the level of immunity in children of this age group is less compared to others.

Of the last 40 positive patients of swine flu in the city, majority of them happened to be children below the age of 10.

The total number of positive cases in the city has gone up to 149 with these three recent cases. The total number of suspected cases has gone up to 721 and death toll is 23 in the city because of the virus

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/surat/2-kids-among-3-positive-H1N1-cases-in-city/articleshow/5557604.cms

[Kassy]

Most of the children, who have tested positive for swine flu, are below 10 and this is puzzling the authorities, who so far have no answer to this. A majority of those found to be infected with the virus in the city last month were children.

It's not strange.

There probably is a bias in who gets tested.

Kids also get & transmit it rather easily according to recent UK research (http://thisbluemarble.com/showthread.php?t=23907).

[Kassy]

Clinical trials of indigenous A(H1N1) vaccine in final stages


MYSORE: The first swine flu vaccine may be introduced in India by April or May as clinical trials of the indigenously developed vaccine are being undertaken to check its efficacy on humans.

Once the trials are found to be successful, the vaccine would be introduced in the market.

Disclosing this to The Hindu, V. Venkatachalam, additional secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, said though the incidence of A(H1N1) had come down substantially in the country following measures introduced by the ministry immediately after its outbreak last year, the bridging trials are nearing completion and the vaccine needs to get approval from the Drug Controller of India for its formal introduction in the country.

He said the vaccine trials are being done in three stages and the trial is in its final stage. The tests are now being carried out on humans.

Mr. Venkatachalam said the vaccine was being imported earlier to ensure the safety of healthcare professionals and others involved in the treatment of swine flu patients.

Asserting that the swine flu cases are on a decline in the country, the additional director said apprehensions had been expressed about the outbreak of the next wave of the pandemic in winter.

However, there was no such impact since the pandemic had been successfully contained.

Mr. Venkatachalam said the A(H1N1) pandemic wave in many parts of the world had also decreased. Nevertheless, the ongoing awareness campaigns on the pandemic would continue.

Asked whether A(H1N1) vaccine would be launched through the government-run inoculation programme on the lines of pulse polio drive, he said, “The pulse polio is a bigger drive since the targeted coverage is high. The A(H1N1) vaccine may not be on the scale of the pulse polio drive. Perhaps, the high-risk groups would be covered. Moreover, the issue of vaccination would be decided once the trials are done.”
Smoking in public

Mr. Venkatachalam said the States would be asked to enforce the ban on smoking in public places following reports that the ban had not been strictly enforced.

Lamenting that smoking is not considered a “health hazard” and hence the ban is not effectively enforced, the additional secretary said, “Our emphasis on the States is to give priority to enforcing the ban invoking the laws. Through such measures, we want to contain tobacco consumption.”

He said the ministries of rural development and agriculture had supported the ministry’s initiatives by introducing certain measures to bring down tobacco production in the country.

While the rural development department focusing on developing alternative avenues for those dependent on the tobacco industry for their livelihood, the Agriculture Department had recommended cultivation of alternative crops in the place of tobacco.

http://www.hindu.com/2010/02/11/stories/2010021153310500.htm

[Kassy]

Indian data on swine flu shamefully inadequate: Virologist


Warning that India should brace for more deaths from the swine flu (H1N1) pandemic, a leading virologist has described as ''shameful'' the lack of scientific data on its outbreak in the country.

"Even though India has over 28,000 confirmed cases and 1,152 deaths - which would translate into manifold more - no epidemiological analysis of the Indian outbreak is found in the public domain," says Shahid Jameel of the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), New Delhi.

"We do not know the risk factors for the Indian population, the reasons for a mortality rate that is about three to four times the global average, or any epidemiological details of the terrifying spread in cities like Pune," Jameel wrote in the latest issue of the journal 'Current Science'.

There are also no genomic sequences from India uploaded in public databases, making it difficult to analyze the virus circulating in India, he said.

"Considering that ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi) has an entire national institute dedicated to disease epidemiology (National Institute of Epidemiology, Chennai), it is shameful that no epidemiological analysis of the outbreak is available," the scientist who heads the virology group in ICGEB noted with surprise.

He said it is imperative that such information be in the public domain for all stakeholders to analyse it and participate in the vaccination strategy.

Reacting to statements by ICMR and the health ministry that a vaccine against the H1N1 pandemic virus will soon undergo bridge trials in the country, Jameel wonders who will receive it.

"Have we identified the risk groups?", he asks pointing out that in the absence of any epidemiological analysis of the Indian outbreak it is difficult to select the recipients.

"Even in the presence of a public health preparedness plan, an early initiative to screen for the pandemic virus, and the government's generous spending on the testing initiatives, experts believe that a poor healthcare infrastructure has failed the country," Jameel said. "There is a clear need to strengthen that."

Jameel said the government's aggressive screening of passengers at ports of entry did help delay the spread of the virus in India by two to three weeks, but it eventually followed an expected pattern of spread - first in large urban centres followed by small towns. "We do not even know the situation in rural areas," Jameel said.

According to Jameel, daily updates being released by the health ministry since Aug 1, 2009, remains the only source of information on H1N1 spread in India. Based on the analysis of this limited data -- updated till Jan 20, 2010, - Jameel has concluded that H1N1 cases did increase in what appeared to be a second wave. "Since the 'mortality curve' runs almost parallel to the 'cases curve,' and as the number of cases increase, we should be prepared for more deaths," he warns.

According to Jameel, an over-zealous media coupled with the government's perceived lack of transparency and an inherent mistrust of the government system created widespread panic and knee-jerk reactions. This is not good for dealing with any pandemic, he said.

Jameel predicted there will be more cases and more deaths, but calm and sustained response (and not panic) is the only way to overcome it.

At the same time, he said, there is a need for more transparency from government institutions and the media should be considered partners in disseminating the message. "And the message is that this pandemic is serious but we have the tools to manage it."
Thankfully, the mortality is still low, said Jameel, the question remains if this virus will return in a more virulent form in the next wave.

"The 1918 pandemic started that summer as a mild disease, but in the next wave during winter, the virus came back in a highly virulent form, eventually infecting about a third of the world population and killing an estimated 40-50 million people."

According to the ICGEB scientist, "this history of pandemic flu is reason enough to exercise caution and limit virus transmission in the human population".

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/52787/indian-data-swine-flu-shamefully.html

[Kassy]

Five die of swine flu in Gujarat

AHMEDABAD: Five deaths due to swine flu were reported from Gujarat in the last 48 hours, taking the death toll in the State to 285, officials said on Sunday. — PTI

http://www.hindu.com/2010/02/22/stories/2010022258120100.htm

[Kassy]

One more swine flu death in city

TNN, Feb 21

SURAT: A 32-year-old housewife from Bardoli became the latest victim of swine flu virus on Sunday, taking the H1N1 death toll in the city to 25.

Dr Piyush Shah, epidemic officer of the health department, told TOI, "Deepika Solanki, resident of Sadhananagar Society of Bardoli town, was brought to New Civil Hospital (NCH) on February 9, 2010, as a suspected patient of swine flu. She was diagnosed positive for the virus and was under treatment at the NCH. She succumbed to her illness at 2pm on Sunday."

Nine new cases of suspected swine flu in the city were reported on Sunday, of Reports of seven of these patients are negative, but that of the other two are still awaited, Dr Shah said. Currently, there are 22 patients admitted in various hospitals in the city receiving treatment for the dreaded virus, he added.

Till now, of the 779 suspected cases of swine flu, 152 have reported positive and there have been 25 deaths in city hospitals.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/surat/One-more-swine-flu-death-in-city-/articleshow/5600747.cms

[Kassy]

The total number of deaths in India is 1330.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_flu_pandemic_by_country

[Kassy]

H1N1 claimed 3 lives every day in January

GANDHINAGAR: More than three people died of swine flu in Gujarat every single day of January this year, according to a revelation made in the Gujarat Assembly on Thursday. And this, after the state government invoked the Epidemic Control Act for the first time on August 18 last year.

State Assembly records tabled against questions asked by MLAs revealed that 119 deaths occurred in January this year which is higher than the total number of people who died of H1N1 last year.

Also in January, 564 people tested H1N1 positive. To another question on the total number of swine flu deaths last year, the state health department said 117 had died till December 31, 2009. The other question asked was on the number of deaths till January 31, 2010 where the statistic revealed was 236 persons.

The total number of positive cases till December 31 last year was 697, which shot up to a staggering 1,261 by January 31 this year. Gujarat recorded the second highest deaths in the country in swine flu at 286, with Maharashtra topping at 372 and Karnataka at 148, on Thursday. Going by these statistics, the H1N1 virus was most active in January this year, claiming the highest number of lives and infecting the maximum number of people.

The first swine flu case was registered in the state in July last year. Last year, Ahmedabad recorded the highest number of swine flu deaths with 30 of the total 117 victims, followed by Surat at 21, Rajkot 20 and Vadodara registering eight deaths. The remaining 38 cases were registered in other parts of the state. The government mentioned that from April 30 to December 31 last year, over 2.28 lakh international passengers were screened at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel international airport.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/H1N1-claimed-3-lives-every-day-in-January/articleshow/5645159.cms

[Kassy]

India is now starting vaccinating risk groups.

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/57311/india-likely-start-swine-flu.html

They now have imported a first 1.5 million doses which is not even near a percentage of their population.

[Kassy]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/H1N1-virus-shows-genetic-mutation-but-not-a-worry/articleshow/5688531.cms

India reports three sequences with 3 patients which have a change in the PB2 gene, probably E627K. This has has popped up in some other places (Shangai, the Netherlands) but it still hasn't spread far and wide.

It might do so because it's in all other human pandemics so far.

[Kassy]

No new Swine Flu cases in Delhi for a while:

http://www.hindu.com/2010/03/29/stories/2010032957340400.htm

[Kassy]

First new swine flu case in Andhra Pradesh:

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/hyderabad/Summer-s-first-swine-flu-case-in-Andhra/Article1-536536.aspx

*The patient is a cab driver who ended up hospital in critical condition because of preexisting conditions.