Hyderabad, June 18: Weather has changed and doctors have sounded swine flu (influenza A H1N1) alert for the twin cities as cold climate offers the perfect conditions for the virus to multiply rapidly.
“Surveillance and screening are being given high priority and special medical staff and testing centres are being made available at various parts of the twin cities,” K Subhakar, chief coordinator of the Government Chest Hospital told Expresso. “The virus has been mild so far, but it could change its behaviour. If that happens it can assume a dangerous form,” he added.
A 22-year-old pregnant woman from Kottur in Medak district is the first swine flu case confirmed by the Chest Hospital after the onset of monsoon. “With about 50 swine flu cases a day being reported in neighbouring Karnataka and Maharshtra, the border areas of AP are in a danger zone,” he said.
“Swine flu virus can spread rapidly during monsoon and winter months. We could see more infections in the coming days due to cold weather conditions and the situation could turn serious,” Subhakar warned.
He, however, said there was no need for panic. People needed to be more vigilant and take precautionary measures. “The chances are it would spread in a community or in clusters like schools. If any such group exhibits similar illness symptoms, every member of the group should be screened so that they could be treated in time.”
“Every season 10 percent of the population is affected with common flu. If in the coming season it rises to 25-30 percent, only then we need to worry. We have to have a database of the people affected with swine flu in the state and the twin cities to detect any unusual outbreak,” he added.
“During the first showers of monsoon, low resistance makes people susceptible to diseases commonly associated with this season. It is time we took precautions against these diseases and boosted our immunity,” Subhakar said.
Meanwhile, over 787 swine flu cases were detected in the State so far with nearly 55 deaths. At least 80,000 doses of the swine flu vaccine were released. The entire medical staff of the Chest Hospital has been vaccinated recently. All government hospitals, including those in the districts, have been given sufficient doses of the vaccine for immunisation of health workers.
——-Agencies