Swine flu on the rise in Telangana

​Hyderabad: Swine flu cases are on the rise in Telangana. Even a few IAS officers and Group-1 officers (three each) have been tested positive for influenza virus and underwent treatment, it is learnt. Since swine flu is an airborne disease it is very common that senior officials get affected with the flu virus while on field visits. 

Almost all super-specialty hospitals and state-hospitals like Gandhi, Osmania, MGM in Warangal and in Nizamabad, Mahbubnagar are equipped with isolation rooms and exclusive medical staff to treat swine flu cases, they said.

Compared to September, number of positive cases increased almost three times in first three weeks of October alone. Of the 627 swabs taken from patients admitted in private hospitals, 144 tested positive for swine flu. In September, 429 swabs were tested out of which 45 tested positive for the virus.

In the same time period, 34 positive cases were detected in tests done at Fever hospital, Hyderabad, for patients admitted in government hospitals across the state. Swabs taken from patients in 31 districts are being tested at two places - IPM, Narayanaguda and Fever Hospital, Nallakunta. While swabs coming from private hospitals across the state are tested at IPM Narayanaguda, Fever hospital takes care of samples coming from state-run hospitals only. 

Cases of Influenza A (H1N1) virus are usually seen from October till December and health department in Telangana geared up its machinery in all districts to tackle the situation. Stress was laid on implementation of swine flu guidelines at all government and private hospitals. 

In order to prevent and contain outbreak of influenza-A H1N1 virus, screening, testing procedures have to be done for patients seeking consultation for flu like symptoms followed by medication in isolation wards in case test results show positive for swine flu. 

All teaching hospitals, including OGH, Gandhi, Fever, MGM-Warangal, Nizamabad and Mahbubnagar have been directed to keep adequate stocks of medicines and get isolation wards ready for immediate treatment in case of arrival of patients who tested positive for swine flu.