Swine Flu: 79 Year Old Woman Dies In Odisha

Swine Flu is a respiratory infection caused by influenza A virus. The virus was originated in Mexico, and has infected thousands of people worldwide. Swine flu first affected millions of people in April 2009 and it was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). Some common symptoms of swine flu are coughing, running nose and eyes, breathing difficulties, eye redness, sneezing, fatigue, headache, fever and depression. Also, people with a weak immune system are at a high risk of catching swine flu.

Death toll due to swine flu rose to four on Wednesday. A 79-year-old woman died of Swine flu in Odisha, taking the total death toll in the state to four. Her death was the third reported from the state since Monday evening. The disease claimed two lives on Tuesday. Shanta Priya Das was a native of Jagatsinghpur's Tirtol . The woman was admitted to a private hospital on August 1. All the four deaths in the state were recorded in the last one week.

So far there have been 71 cases of H1N1 reported from the state. In the last nine days, at least 64 fresh cases have turned up. The transmission rate has been alarming. At least 27 per cent of the 257 samples collected from the state tested positive.

On Wednesday alone, 12 new cases of the flu were reported in the state. Of the 12 people who tested positive on Wednesday, ten have been admitted to various private hospitals across the city. Two of them are lodged at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack.

Although children below the age of five and people above 60 are thought to be more vulnerable. Many of those who tested positive were young.

Seven of them were from Khurda district, two from Cuttack and one each from Jajpur, Sundargarh and West Bengal.

Meanwhile, the Health Department has confirmed that it received at least 25,000 Oseltamivir, 500 N-95 masks and as many numbers of Oseltamivir syrup bottles and PPE kits.

In the wake of spreading of various diseases, Odisha government has asked all chief district medical officers (CDMOs) to conduct a special Gram Sabha in each gram panchayats on August 15 in order to disseminate awareness on health issues in the community.

IEC materials like leaflets, posters banners will be distributed on health issues like chickengunia, malaria, dengue, diarrhoea, jaundice, Japanese encephalitis and swine flu.

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