The country has been managing swine flu cases since January but the virus has continued to spread even in the hotter months of May and June.
Swine flu has lead to 5 deaths so far in Himachal Pradesh
India has been grappling with outbreaks of swine flu since January and more than 120 deaths have been recorded till now. The situation is particularly severe in Maharashtra, Kerala and some other states along the western coast. The recent addition to the list of areas battling to save lives is Shimla.
Between January 1 to June 29, a total of 233 people were tested for the flu in Himachal Pradesh out of which 28 were found positive. During this time, two people have died of swine flu in Kangra district and one each in Sirmaur and Shimla districts. The other victim in Shimla was a tourist from Maharashtra, ageing 57 years who died on May 17.
While efforts by the officials and government authorities had begun early to prevent the spread of the H1N1 virus, the unperturbed spread right now is worrisome. Doctors suggest a visit to he doctor as soon as you notice any symptoms and caution people to not give the signs the benefit of doubt.
Why is this situation particularly alarming?
Because the spread of some diseases, is very difficult to control. This includes most infections that spread through a virus because viruses hide in our bodies and live as DNA cells. And any treatment to kill these viruses can mean permanent damage to our DNA. As of now, no effective treatments or vaccines exist to control or prevent virus-based infections. One particularly deadly form of this virus is the Influenza A that causes swine flu.
People most frequently come in contact with the virus through inhaling the virus or by touching surfaces contaminated with the virus, and then touching their mouth or nose. Infected droplets can be expelled into the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
Also read: Reasons and Remedies for Swine Flu
(Inputs from IANS)
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