Swine flu assumes serious proportions in Madhya Pradesh with 111 dead in 3 months

Bhopal, Oct 3: Swine flu has claimed 111 lives in just over three month period in Madhya Pradesh, signalling that the H1N1 influenza has become a serious health issue in the state.

"One hundred and eleven people have died due to swine flu in 94 days and 647 have tested positive for the H1N1 virus between July 1 and October 2 in Madhya Pradesh," state health director K L Sahu told PTI today.

He said swine flu prevalence has been found in 44, out of total 51 districts of Madhya Pradesh. Forty-four patients died of the HINI virus infection from July 1 to September 7 (69 days), while 57 persons succumbed to the influenza from September 8 to October 2, according to the official figures of MP health department.

The figures suggest that more than two persons died of swine flu daily in last 23 days, signalling that the disease spread was serious. Sahu said 647 patients had tested positive for the H1N1 virus in Madhya Pradesh since July 1. Sahu, however, said the state government is making all out efforts to check the disease.

According to the information gathered from chief health and medical officers of different districts (CMHOs), swine flu spread was more serious in Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur, Damoh, Sehore and Sagar districts. Of the deceased, highest number of 20 patients died in Indore, the cleanest city of India according to a latest survey under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (SBA).

The disease has also knocked dead 10 people in Bhopal -- the second cleanest city of India, besides 8 in Jabalpur, 7 each in Damoh and Sehore, 6 in Sagar, 5 each in Ujjain, Hoshangabad, Betul and Ratlam, 4 in Raisen, 3 in Balaghat, 2 each in Morena, Shahdol and Seoni, one each Jhabua, Mandsaur, Shivpuri and Satna and rest deaths have been reported from 16 others districts. Of the people tested positive, 118 are from Bhopal, 83 from Jabalpur, 53 from Indore, 30 from Ujjain and Sagar, 25 each from Mandsaur and Betul, 20 from Sehore, 18 from Damoh, 17 from Hoshangabad, 13 from Dewas, 11 from Satna, 9 from Ratlam, 8 each from Morena and Raisen, 7 each from Khargone and Shahdol, 5 each from Seoni and Balaghat and 155 from other 25 districts, reveal the official figures. Of these people, some are being treated while others have been discharged from different hospitals after they were cured, said the CMHOs. Swine flu tests are being carried out at Jabalpur, Gwalior and AIIMS in Bhopal, they added.

Doctors said there was no shortage of medicine Tamiflu to treat the patients. "Earlier, H1N1 used to spread from swine to swine. But it was discovered that it was spreading from human to human in 2009," veteran pulmonologist Lokendra Dave told PTI.

"This virus strikes people in all seasons and it has become common now. There is no need to panic over it. Rather focus should be on its timely treatment and cure," he added. He said that H1N1 influenza commonly known as swine flu was a pneumonia-type disease. Dave said the average mortality rate due to H1N1 virus was one among 200 patients. Renowned pulmonologist of Jabalpur, Dr Jitendra Bhargava said people should not take common flu lightly. "Rest, nutritious diet and liquid intake was important to beat the disease. Elderly, diabetic and immune compromised people fall easy prey to the H1N1 virus," he added.

PTI