Flu menace: H1N1 claims 326 in Maharashtra

Mumbai: The H1N1 virus claimed 326 lives in Maharashtra from January 1 to July 17, with 29 people succumbing to swine flu in the last week alone. The state health department’s death analysis report states that women account for 60 per cent of the deceased, and most of them were in the age bracket of 25 to 30 years. According to the report, the women had a weak immune system. The analysis report for the city, however, said that men are more susceptible to the ailment as they move about more than women.

Dr Mukund Diggikar, who holds the additional charge for epidemic diseases in the state health department, said, “From January to Thursday, 326 people have succumbed to infections; 11,72,478 patients have been screened out of which 3,015 tested positive; and 12 people are on ventilators.” Asked why it was mostly women who had succumbed to the virus, he replied,  “A large number of women succumbed to the virus due to pregnancy, low haemoglobin and low immunity. Sneezing, cold, cough and feverishness shouldn’t be ignored. Get your self scanned and wear masks in public.”

According to the state’s standard protocol for swine flu treatment, people who fall in the high-risk group must be administered with the swine flu vaccines. The group includes pregnant women, people with chronic health issues, hospital staff members and children.

City under siege

In July 250 cases of swine flu were reported in Mumbai, taking the number of affected people in the city between January and July 15 to 874. Out of the 874 cases, 672 patients are not residents of Mumbai while 202 are city residents. Twenty-two people have died in the city since January.

State beleaguered

11,72,478 patients have been screened since January, and 3,015 tested positive last week itself. Around 23,739 people are on Oseltamivir, swine flu tablets, while 12 people are on ventilators. Most of the 326 deaths recorded so far were reported from districts such as Nashik, Pune, Nagpur and Aurangabad.