Another detected with H1N1, count stands at 16

Yet another resident of the city has been detected with H1N1 flu on Saturday. The 44-year old Ghatkopar resident is the sixteenth victim of the disease this month.

The patient was down with fever and flu initially and went for a regular check-up. On further examination, under which the throat swab was taken, the infection was confirmed.

“There has been a bit of a delay in beginning the treatment and starting the steroids, because of which his condition has worsened. He is critical currently and has been shifted to Bombay Hospital,” said Dr Om Shrivastava, director of the department of infectious diseases, Jaslok Hospital.

The patient, who is on non-invasive ventilator currently, was provided with the initial treatment at the isolation ward of Kasturba Hospital. He is also being said to be in an early stage of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) which is a life threatening condition, triggered by infection in lungs.

Over three patients have died of the disease this month. According to Dr Mini Kheterpal, in-charge of the BMC’s epidemiology cell, the month of May had seen 28 cases of swine flu. The virus that had struck in the city in January had hospitalised over 1,890 people killing 51 of them in four months.

Dr Shrivastava said that while the onset of monsoons and rise in humidity are some of the reasons for the spike in cases, the type of virus has also changed over the years, thereby aggravating the disease.

“The virus strain has undergone a lot of changes over the past few years and has become much more unpredictable. Earlier the disease would be seen more in the winters when the humidity was high but this time the cases are coming up even in the summers. We need to test the strain of the disease and put a lot of research into the area for coming up with an appropriate solution for it,” said Dr Shrivastava.

Speaking further on the precautionary measures that should be undertaken by the residents, Dr Shivastava said that the high-risk group needs to be extra careful. “Pregnant ladies, people with diabetes, blood pressure, kids and senior citizens are most susceptible to the disease.

They must undertake treatment at the earliest, even if they are slightly suspicious, but of course they should consult an expert. Also, they must be isolated till the test results are out,” said Dr Shrivastava.