What is the issue?
The reported cases and deaths due to the spread of H1N1 virus are on the rise in comparison with previous years' records.
What is H1N1?
- Influenza A (H1N1) virus is the subtype of influenza A virus that was the most common cause of human influenza in 2009.
- H1N1 flu is also known as swine flu caused by swine influenza virus that is endemic in pigs.
- It is a highly contagious disease and can easily spread from a patient through saliva and mucus.
What are the recent developments?
- India is witnessing a new rise in the number of cases and deaths due to swine flu.
- Gujarat is the worst-affected, followed by Rajasthan, Punjab, Maharashtra and Delhi.
- The number of cases in the southern states is also high compared with last year, especially in Tamil Nadu.
What is the reason?
- Pune based National Institute of Virology has noted that the virus has not undergone any significant mutation directly responsible for the spread or increased mortality.
- Also, the virulence or the disease causing nature has remained nearly unchanged.
- However, the virus has undergone point mutations.
- This has resulted in a new strain called the Michigan strain which has replaced the California strain which has been prevalent since the 2009 pandemic.
- Only the Michigan strain is circulating this year as against the co-circulation of both strains last year.
- While earlier vaccinations made people immune to the California strain, the circulation of the new strain is the cause of increased caseload and mortality.
What is to be done?
- Vaccine - After mutation, the newer strain emerges stronger than the earlier strain.
- More research is needed to fully understand the epidemiology of H1N1 caused by the Michigan strain, and who may be more vulnerable.
- Also, the composition of the swine flu vaccine will require changes as per the World Health Organization (WHO)s recommendation.
- Database - The numbers in the official report do not reflect the true reality.
- This is because it is not mandatory for the private hospitals to disclose all the deaths and the people affected, to the government’s database.
- There is a need for a system to record and release the actual number of cases for making appropriate response.
- Prevention - Being a communicable disease, swine flu can best be prevented with awareness generation by the governments.
- Uptake of influenza vaccination by people, health-care workers and especially by those belonging to the high-risk category, can go a long way in reducing the cases.
- High-risk categories include pregnant women, very young and old people, those who have had organ transplantation and those with certain underlying illnesses.
- Government should ensure that there are enough vaccines in various health centres.
- Also, it should take measures to keep the environment clean to address poor hygiene and sanitation being causes of swine flu.
- Diagnose - Sufficient lab facilities to diagnose H1N1 cases among both hospitalised and non-hospitalised population is essential.
- The government should do everything possible to take both preventive and curative measures to fight swine flu.
Source: The Hindu
