According to health officials from the state, the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune will be conducting Tests every week to find whether the swine flu virus is mutating, with the help of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
Earlier, most of the officials said increased incidence of swine flu is a cause of low temperatures (winters) and said the number of positive cases would come down with increase in temperatures. However, there is only minimal decrease in the numbers.
Predictions going wrong made health officials restless with 49 people tested positive for H1N1 on Thursday. Only in the month of March 1,202 samples tested, out of which 438 tested positive. Also, 10 persons lost life who diagnosed with H1N.
Dr G Srinivas Rao, special officer (epidemics), Telangana said that “Random samples would be collected for the tests”. Alarmed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) study that swine flu virus may have mutated, the officials called up National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), New Delhi, to confirm the situation.
“They maintained that there is no change in trauma. But the tests would be conducted every week,” Rao said.