Swine flu claims two lives, 32 positive in Aurangabad since January

AURANGABAD: Two city residents have lost their lives due to the H1N1 virus in Aurangabad from January this year, the office of deputy director of health services informed. As many 32 people were tested positive for swine flu during the last two and half months.
A policeman died on Friday due to suspected swine flu infection. The cop was earlier being treated at the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) and was shifted to a private hospital in Cidco area.The doctors at the private hospital confirmed that the policeman had swine flu positive. However, the GMCH could not confirm whether the patient was positive or not.
Currently, the government health facilities in city do not have provision of testing samples for H1N1 virus. Subsequently, the samples are either tested from private labs or sent to National Institute of Virology, Pune.
GMCH medical superintendent Kailash Zine said that the hospital slated to get a laboratory which will be efficient to test samples for swine flu virus.
For the advanced treatment of the influenza, patients are referred from the civil hospital and AMC to the GMCH as only the medical college has facility of dedicated ward.
Zine said that the hospital has required medicines and facilities available for the treatment. “Currently, six suspected patients are admitted in the ward. One of them has been tested positive,” he said, adding that keeping the suspected patients separate from confirmed patients is not possible.
Municipal health officer Nita Padalkar said that as the influenza is airborne. Personal hygiene and individual preventive steps can curb its spread. “Washing hands before meals and after visiting washroom, covering mouth while sneezing or coughing and maintaining distance from patients can be significant,” Padalkar said.
Padalkar added that they would be holding a meeting of medical officers under the municipal corporation on Monday to ensure special steps to spread awareness for swine flu.
Maharashtra has recorded 518 influenza H1N1 (swine flu) cases and 35 deaths in the first two months this year. Nagpur, Pune and Nashik are among the worst hit by the virus.
Experts attribute the rise to unprecedented cold wave conditions that prevailed in most parts of the country, including Maharashtra during winter, depleting immunity among masses and co-circulation of other seasonal viruses with swine flu.