Gujarat: H1N1 Pandemic 2009-2010; 486 confirmed fatalities

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Gujarat: Toll reaches 316

Fifth death in week due to swine flu
TNN, Jul 31, 2010, 10.11pm IST

SURAT: Nital Shankar Patel, 27, died of swine flu at Apple Hospital here on Saturday. With this, the virus has claimed at least five lives in a week's time in the city.

Patel was admitted to the hospital on July 25 and tested positive for H1N1.

There was no improvement in her condition and she remained critical. Patel was earlier admitted to Surbhi Hospital in Navsari. She was shifted to Apple Hospital in a critical condition and was on ventilator. A detailed history report on her will be submitted to the health department by the health authorities in Navsari.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/surat/Fifth-death-in-week-due-to-swine-flu/articleshow/6241863.cms

[tetano]

Re: Gujarat: Toll reaches 317

Strike II: H1N1 claims 11 lives in state

AHMEDABAD: Swine flu is back. The H1N1 influenza that claimed over 300 lives in the state in the first phase has already claimed 11 lives in its second attack in the past month, mostly in Saurashtra and south Gujarat.

Experts say that the virus should be taken with some caution as it does not show the behaviour of regular influenza. While influenza is a winter epidemic, H1N1 struck in the summer first. This time too, it has struck late summer and beginning of monsoon.

Doctors say people, especially young and pregnant women, should not wait till they get acute symptoms and consult a specialist if their cough, cold and fever does not respond to medication in the initial three days.

"Swine flu is found to become fatal when it reaches the lungs where it unleashes a complete attack damaging the airways. This stage should be avoided," says Dr Atul Patel who is treating three complicated cases of H1N1 currently.

"Unlike commonly believed that it will prove more dangerous for the elderly, the H1N1 virus is attacking the young. Most deaths of swine flu have been in the age group of 25 to 40 years which is a major concern," says Patel, who had also consulted the state government in tackling the virus when it struck the state first in July 2009.

Doctors say the Centre for Communicable Diseases (CDC), US has recommended the use of vaccines on patients who are at high risk. With a Gujarat company launching the vaccine, experts said that people who are at high risk category are recommended to take the vaccine.

"The high risk group includes doctors, hospital staff, nurses and other medical and para-medical personnel in hospitals who will come in contact with people suffering H1N1," added Patel.

Pregnant women especially are recommended to take the vaccine as they are the most vulnerable. In the first phase, there was a number of such women who succumbed to the virus in Gujarat as they could not fight the onslaught.

"Since the immunity of the pregnant women is low, they are found less capable of fighting the virus," said Dr Patel.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Strike-II-H1N1-claims-11-lives-in-state/articleshow/6253800.cms

[tetano]

Re: Gujarat: Toll reaches 317

Swine flu claims two in Rajkot


Rajkot, Aug 4 (PTI) Two women have died of swine flu in Rajkot Civil Hospital while six persons have been admitted in the isolation ward of the hospital, sources said. Pravina Nagji (35) who was shifted to Rajkot Civil Hospital from Junagadh on July 31 died last night while another woman from Porbandar identified as Deviben Arjan (22) also succumbed to the H1N1 virus last night in the same ward. As many as six persons have been admitted in the civil hospital''s isolation ward in which two were tested positive while report of four is yet to come, sources added.

http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/swine-flu-claims-two-in-rajkot/201672.html

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Gujarat: Toll reaches 319

Two test positive for swine flu in city
TNN, Aug 6, 2010, 11.11pm IST

VADODARA: Two more cases of swine flu were reported from the city on Friday. While one patient tested positive for swine flu at SSG Hospital, another was admitted in a private hospital. A 25-year-old person from Jambusar in Bharuch was admitted to SSG on Thursday and he tested positive for the flu on Friday.

A 45-year-old woman from Shinor taluka tested positive for swine flu in private hospital. The number of swine flu cases in the city is on rise since last few weeks. A 26-year-old youth residing in Makarpura area of the city became the victim of the virus. Arpit Tiwari succumbed to swine flu on Sunday evening, but it was on Monday that his medical report confirmed that he had tested positive for H1N1 virus. A 24-year-old male from Bharuch succumbed to the virus on July 19.

Brijesh Patel was admitted to SSG Hospital as a suspected H1N1 patient. His samples tested positive and he died during the course of treatment on Monday afternoon. Patel was a resident of Amod taluka in Bharuch district.


Read more: Two test positive for swine flu in city - Vadodara - City - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/c...#ixzz0vqnkvr4q

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Gujarat: Toll reaches 320

I believe that the four highlighted fatalities are previously unrecorded.

H1N1 strike-II: Health dept gears up to tackle outbreak
Express News Service
The swine flu virus, which has been on a resurgent course since the beginning of the monsoon, has tightened its grip over Gujarat over the last week with five deaths reported in the last three days. The cases have been mostly reported from Surat, Navsari and Vadodara.


Experts have said the virus does not show the behaviour of regular influenza, which is a winter epidemic, while H1N1 struck first during summers. This time too, it has struck in late summer and the beginning of monsoon.


State health officials said the virus would not have spread had people taken vaccination on time.


Health officials said a 52-year-old woman died in Ahmedabad on Friday, while a 22-year-old youth from Rajkot died on Thursday.


On Wednesday, a 22-year-old girl died in Ahmedabad, while two confirmed H1N1 deaths were reported from Una and Veraval.


Sources said that around six patients died in Surat in the last week of July. A team of health officials were rushed to Surat to find out the reason. The officials met Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) officials and doctors at the New Civil Hospital.
-snip-

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/h1n1-strikeii-health-dept-gears-up-to-tackle-outbreak/657292/0

[tetano]

Re: Gujarat: Toll reaches 324

Another swine flu death in city

VADODARA: Swine flu claimed life of 45-year old woman in the city on Saturday taking the death to four after the virus resurfaced with onset of monsoons. Daksha Patel was admitted to a private hospital on Friday as suspected H1N1 patient.

Patel was admitted in city-based Global Baroda Hospital after being referred from a doctor in Dabhoi. As per the hospital authorities, Patel was brought to hospital in critical condition. She was severely anaemic and had developed respiratory problem.

"She was put on ventilator and we had got her samples report on the same evening of her hospitalisation. Her samples tested positive for H1N1 virus and immediately necessary medication was administered. However, she succumbed to the virus on Saturday morning," said the authorities at the hospital.

Two more patients were admitted at SSG as suspected swine flu cases. One of them is 57-year-old woman and 50-year-old male from Sevasi.

Read more: Another swine flu death in city - Vadodara - City - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/c...#ixzz0vxAaYXtv

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Gujarat: Toll reaches 325

Four test positive for swine flu

Posted: Tue Aug 10 2010, 05:12 hrs
Vadodara:


Four persons in Vadodara were tested positive for swine flu on Monday, including a 58-year-old woman, whose condition is said to be critical. The woman, a resident of Sevasi, is admitted to the Sir Sayajirao General Hospital. The other three patients are all in their 20s and have been admitted to different private hospitals in the city. Two of them belong to the city while the third one is a resident of Bharuch. SSGH Resident Medical Officer Dr B Patel said the ?situation is grave as many people are being tested positive? for the deadly H1 N1 virus.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Four-test-positive-for-swine-flu/658417

[tetano]

Re: Gujarat: Toll reaches 325

One more swine flu positive case in city

SURAT: The total number of H1N1 virus infected cases in the city has gone up to 167 with one more patient testing positive for swine flu.

Dr Piyush Shah, nodal officer, health department, district panchayat, said, "Seven new suspected cases were found in the city on Tuesday. Of these, two were admitted in SMIMER Hospital and one each in New Civil Hospital, Askhtasram Hospital, Dr Kapse Hospital, Apple Hospital and Lokhat Hospital. Only a 21-year-old man from Ragunathpura area of the city was found to be infected with swine flu. He is undergoing treatment at Lokhat Hospital."

This has taken the total number of suspected cases of swine flu in the city in the second phase beginning 15 June to 126. At least six deaths have also taken place during this phase.

Read more: One more swine flu positive case in city - Surat - City - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/c...#ixzz0wEjTKeC2

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Gujarat: Toll reaches 325

Fifth swine flu death reported in city
TNN, Aug 11, 2010, 10.23pm IST

VADODARA: Swine flu claimed one more life on Wednesday with a 25-year-old youth from Bharuch succumbing to the virus. Salim Dukanwala was brought to a multi-speciality hospital from Bharuch in critical condition on Sunday. His samples were sent for testing and on Monday the reports confirmed positive for virus.

Dukanwala was suffering from pneumonia and was undergoing treatment at a private nursing home in Bharuch. He was then transferred to Global Baroda Hospital (GBH) on Sunday evening. "He was diagnosed with pneumonia. When he was brought to our hospital he was in serious condition and kept on ventilator. But, he passed away in the evening," said an official from the GBH.

With this death, swine flu death toll rose to five in the city after the virus resurfaced during monsoons.



Read more: Fifth swine flu death reported in city - Vadodara - City - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/c...#ixzz0wJoRd4EA

[tetano]

Re: Gujarat: Toll reaches 326

18 die of swine flu in Gujarat in 2 months

AHMEDABAD: Swine flu has so far claimed 18 deaths in Gujarat. As many as 85 positive cases have been registered in the state. The casualties are nearly 21 per cent of the total swine flu positive cases reported in the state. This may well be the highest percentage in the country, as the national average is less then 10 per cent.

Health ministerJaynarayan Vyas in a statement said that with the onset of monsoon, swine flu cases have also gone up in the country. In last one week, 942 new cases were identified as suffering from swine flu across the country and 83 of them died. Vyas said that in Gujarat 21 new cases have been registered and seven have so far died. He said that delay in starting treatment and low priority to precautions were the major reasons behind the high percentage of deaths in the state.

The minister said that the entire mechanism has been put on alert in view of the swine flu resurfacing.

He said that between June 15 and August 11 this year, about 85 positive cases were registered in Gujarat. Of them, 18 -- five in Surat, four in Junagadh, two each in Ahmedabad, Bharuch and Vadodara and one each in Banaskantha, Jamnagar and Navsari -- have died.

Vyas said that the state has provided Oseltamivir capsules, a medicine for swine flu, at all community health centres and government dispensaries in every district. Food and drug department has taken up the necessary licensing process to make the medicine available at one pharmacy shop at least in every taluka, and by now it has been made available to 278 private chemist shops. Masks have also been made available at chemist shops, he said.

Vyas said that the government was also trying to spread awareness among people. He said that people are also asked to contact on telephonic helplines 079-22681191, 22681291, 22683420, 22683421, if they find any indication of swine flu case anywhere in the state.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/18-die-of-swine-flu-in-Gujarat-in-2-months/articleshow/6295337.cms

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Gujarat: Toll reaches 326

Consolidated Status report of Aug 15 places the total number of fatalities in Gujarat at 328.

http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=64804

[tetano]

Re: Gujarat: Toll reaches 328

Three in city test positive for H1N1

VADODARA: Three more patients admitted to private hospitals and SSG Hospital here tested positive for H1N1 virus, while one suspected case was admitted in SSG on Monday.

In Metro Hospital, a 58-year-old man admitted as suspect tested positive. Report of a 28-year-old woman patient from Nizampura admitted in Bhailal Amin Hospital confirmed her samples tested positive for H1N1. At SSG, a 42-year-old woman admitted as suspected swine flu case, too, tested positive. While report of 59-year-old man residing in Bilgaam was admitted at SSG as suspected patient on Monday are awaited.

Read more: Three in city test positive for H1N1 - Vadodara - City - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/c...#ixzz0wt2MErBd

[tetano]

Re: Gujarat: Toll reaches 328

Junagadh girl tests swine flu positive

JUNAGADH: A four-year-old girl has tested positive of the killer swine flu disease at Rajkot's PDU hospital. According to hospital sources, the girl was shifted to Rajkot from Junagadh two days ago and tested positive on Tuesday.

Sources said, the girl belongs to Jud Vadli village of Una taluka in Junagadh district. Incidentally, the maximum number of cases of swine flu that have been detected in the second spell of the disease in Gujarat after the recent monsoon have been from Una taluka. All three deaths that have occurred in Saurashtra till death have been patients from Junagadh district.

Read more: Junagadh girl tests swine flu positive - Rajkot - City - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/c...#ixzz0wtV24i6m

[tetano]

Re: Gujarat: Toll reaches 328

Girl from Una succumbs to H1N1


RAJKOT: A four-year-old girl from Una town of Junagadh district who was under treatment for swine flu in Rajkot died on Thursday.

Mamta Chandu died at the isolation ward of PDU hospital, where she was shifted after she had complained of cough, cold, fever and other symptoms of the virus. She was first shifted to Junagadh. However, she was brought to Rajkot on August 16, where her reports had tested positive for swine flu.

According to officials, there are total 10 patients who have been admitted to the swine flu ward in civil hospital, of which five have tested positive for the virus.

In Junagadh, a seven-year-old suspected swine flu patient died at Junagadh's civil hospital isolation ward on Thursday. The boy was shifted with symptoms of the killer virus on Thursday. His samples have been sent for testing. However, he died during treatment and his report is awaited.

Read more: Girl from Una succumbs to H1N1 - Rajkot - City - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/c...#ixzz0x4k7Etg6

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Gujarat: Toll reaches 328

Govt steps up efforts to tackle swine flu


Asks hospitals to put suspected cases under ?aggressive treatment?

By Vipul Rajput
Posted On Monday, August 23, 2010 at 03:30:30 AM


With swine flu cases emerging again, the state health department has drawn up a new policy to prevent the viral disease?s spread. A senior official said that hospitals and private practitioners across Gujarat were being advised to put people showing symptoms of the influenza under ?aggressive anti-viral treatment?. This method of treatment requires doctors to immediately put suspected cases on medication
?We have noticed that by the time a suspected case is referred to a hospital, he/she is already in advanced stage of the disease. To prevent this, we have advised doctors to start the course of Tamiflu immediately,? State Additional Director (training & epidemic) Sudhir Gandhi told Mirror.

He said that health offices, community health centres across and public hospitals had been asked to keep an adequate stock of Tamiflu. ?At the taluka level, every ?block health office? and community health centre has been asked to store at least 100 Tamiflu tablets. Medical colleges and hospitals have also been instructed to keep ample stock,? he said.

The state health department has formed a core group to tackle swine flu and other diseases, including dengue. The secretary of the general administration department is the chairman of the group. According to Gandhi, every week medical officers meet private practitioners and advise them to follow aggressive anti-viral treatment when suspected H1N1 cases are referred to them.

Gandhi and two other state additional directors also conduct meetings every week to take stock of the H1N1 situation in the state. Every Thursday, Friday and Saturday, each of them visits at least three districts and review measures and health programmes introduced to prevent the disease?s spread.

?Among other measures, we are trying to increase the number of medical stores that are allowed to sale Tamiflu. We want to make sure the tablets are available in urban as well as rural areas,? Gandhi said. Currently, 272 medical stores across Gujarat are allowed to sell Tamiflu. He said that efforts were also on to review progress of state?s fight against swine flu at ward level.


?We have already conducted meetings with private practitioners in Surat and Vadodara. Ahmedabad will be covered in the coming weeks,? he said. To date, more than 330 people have died of the influenza in the state. Of these, 34 deaths were reported after June 15. On Sunday, seven new positive cases were reported, taking the number of such cases after June 15 to 200.

http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/2010082320100823033030439e4e165a5/Govt-steps-up-efforts-to-tackle-swine-flu.html

Regarding the final paragraph: On June 15th Gujarat was reporting a total of 306 fatalities. 34 new deaths would put the State total at 340. The current consolidated status total (Aug 15th) is 328, implying another 12 fatalities to be added.