Sharp upsurge in swine flu cases in Capital
New Delhi: The national capital has witnessed an outbreak of swine flu, also known as H1N1 virus, in the first month of 2019 as nearly 532 cases have been registered and 8 deaths reported. As per a data released by the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 173 people tested positive for swine flu in the last six days of this month alone.
"Considering the suspects of the H1N1, around 6,000 patients have been examined. Moreover, around 72 cases of swine flu were reported in last 24 hours in Delhi Hospitals," an official said. Moreover, government has instructed that testing of seasonal influenza is required in category C patients only.
Till January 28, 8 people have died in the city from the H1N1 influenza, also known as swine flu. A 35-year-old became the youngest to have succumbed to the infectious respiratory disease at Safdarjung Hospital, sources said.
Delhi has witnessed a rise in the number of swine flu cases this year, with 532 people diagnosed with the disease so far in several hospitals, which is an increase from the total 205 cases reported in the entire year of 2018, according to a report by the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme, under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Swine flu cases generally rise in the winter season and a majority of people contract the disease in the month of December and January. Recently BJP president Amit Shah was hospitalized with swine flu. Notably, apart from Delhi, Rajasthan and other parts of the country too are witnessing a spike in H1N1 cases.
According to data compiled by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Rajasthan is the worst affected in the country with at least 1,856 (40 per cent) of the total cases being reported from the state as of January 27. The state has witnessed 72 deaths in the past one month.
Swine flu is said to be a contagious respiratory disease caused by "Type A" strains of H1N1 virus. The virus enters the body through inhalation of contaminated droplets or is transferred from a contaminated surface to the eyes, nose or mouth of a person.
