Hyderabad, July 24: Although the swine flu virus has not shown adverse effects in the cases registered in the country, there is a chance that there may be global relapse during the winter season, sounded the warning from infectious diseases specialist Dr Manjusha Gaglani, on a visit from the US at a city hospital on Thursday.
Part of a delegation on a visit to the city for a conference on infant and neo-natal medical issues, Dr Gaglani said that “rather than worrying about the efficacy of the retroviral therapies in place, the focus now for the Health authorities should be to contain the possibility of further infection in the State.” Having published papers on the subjects of Influenza vaccination and more specifically, the H1N1 Influenza, Dr Gaglani noted that “in the case of a suspected case, the patient should inform the relevant authorities and be kept in isolation.” Explaining that the Influenza group of viral strains are most active during the colder months of the year, Dr Gaglani noted that “being an epidemic, the H1N1 infection can pose a threat, particularly to susceptible groups within the general population.” Warding off concerns of the intensity of the infection, she noted that “the virus in its present stage has shown considerable response to available drugs, and in some cases, isolation and rest for a week can cure the patient.” Revealing that the US at present is “in the process of actively curbing the swine flu infection,” Dr Gaglani added that “medical care facilities and hospitals nursing confirmed cases of H1N1 patients should be on their guard to prevent possible spread of infection.” The doctor, who was until recently on a tour of the US in connection with the outbreak, explained how the virus might have come into being. “There is speculation that the viral strain has arisen out of mixing of two kinds of Influenza varieties within a single host, due to mutation.” Dr Ashok Mittal of the NICE Institute, which hosted the event said that “there is a possibility of Indians bearing stronger immunity systems compared to people in developed nations, due to a higher exposure to Influenza and related diseases.” He suggested that the better immunity of Indians could explain why the swine flu virus could not make a detrimental impact within the affected patients. Warning against complacence, Dr Gaglani concluded with a word of caution, saying that “as of now, there is no predicting how the infection will affect the global population. With increased connectivity within the globe, there is a chance of serious infections spreading over a matter of days, which gives all the more reason to be on our guard.” Incidentally, doctors at the conference also revealed that certain companies in European countries have already developed a vaccine against swine flu, built around cell-based technologies.
“Owing to the controversial nature of the cell-harvesting techniques, coupled with the ban on similar technologies in the US and other countries, the drug has not seen many takers in the inernational market,” revealed doctors.
–Agencies–