Swine Flu cases on the rise despite heat wave

Ongole: The medical and health officials in Prakasam district observed a rise in the swine flu cases in the district for the past two weeks despite heat wave. District medical and health officer J Yasmin asked the public to take preventive measures if they observe any symptoms of the disease and join Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences in Ongole for better and early treatment.

Swine flu is a respiratory disease caused by influenza viruses. Its symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, chills, weakness, body and stomach aches. The disease spreads with skin to skin contact, airborne respiratory droplets, saliva or even touching a contaminated surface. The affected patient should be isolated immediately and the nearby people should be given vaccines to stop spreading the disease.

Though the symptoms of swine flu are common in other diseases, the people suffering from them are asked to consult a doctor immediately. If necessary, the doctor can send a sample for the confirmation and gives treatment accordingly.
Since January, the Prakasam district officials collected 42 swabs suspecting swine flu and sent to Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences (SVIMS) in Tirupati. The SVIMS informed the officials that 20 of the samples were tested positive with swine flu. In the affected, seven people died and the remaining patients were crured.

Dr J Yasmin, the DMHO for Prakasam district said, “It is not that every patient whose sample is collected is a swine flu positive and every swine flu positive patient died is due to swine flu only. In the seven people died with swine flu in the district, four people are already suffering from cardiac disease and one person was suffering from bronchial asthma.

Though most of the positive patients are working in other districts like Krishna and Guntur districts and came to their native Prakasam district for treatment, we are taking preventive measures immediately in the area surrounding their home and vaccinating immediate family and others who they are closely associated with. As the patients are joining private hospitals first for treatment, we are offering vaccination to the staff of those hospitals, if a positive case is registered.

We have observed the positives cases are registering from coastal area of the district from places like Chirala, Ongole, Chimakurti and Podili mainly and taking up awareness as well as preventive measures in them.”Swine flu virus cannot live in hot atmospheric conditions. But the medical and health officials observed an increase in the number of suspect cases for the past two weeks in those days when high temperatures were registered.

The officials feel that closed and AC room atmosphere in the houses and offices might be the reason for the virus sustain heat wave. The officials advised the public to wash hands frequently, avoid handshakes and use of hand kerchiefs while coughing and sneezing as a preventive measure to stop swine flu from spreading in the area.

By naresh nandam