Killer swine flu takes 1,094 lives in 8 months

Swine flu in India has caused nearly 1,094 deaths within a span of eight months. The last three weeks witnessed around 342 deaths owing to viral illness.

New Delhi: Swine flu has caused nearly 1,094 deaths within a span of eight months in India. Just in the last three weeks, the flu claimed 342 deaths.

Gujarat and Maharashtra are the worst affected with the highest number of swine flue deaths case. Around 437 and 269 people lost their lives in Maharashtra and Gujarat respectively.

States such as Delhi, Kerala and Rajasthan have also reported a huge number of swine flu incidents, revealed a data released by the Union health ministry on Wednesday.

According to the director of National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr A C Dhariwal, the H1N1 strain in circulation this year is different from that in previous years, reported The Times of India.

"The virus in circulation this year is of the Michigan strain. Earlier, it was mostly the California strain," Dhariwal said.

All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune are also of the same opinion.

Director general of health services (DGHS) Jagdish Prasad said, "Middle-aged persons and those with co-morbidities such as diabetes, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or cancer are vulnerable to death due to swine flu."

"They should take extra precautions," he added.

The government's report further showed that September and October are the peak months for transmission of the viral influenza.