- Researchers from the National Centre for Disease Control data(NCDC) has published a study titled ‘Influenza A (H1N1) in India – changing epidemiology and its implications’.
- The study has said that the first case of influenza A H1N1 virus also known as Swine flu was reported in Mexico in April,2009.
- Later the infection spread and a total of 214 countries were affected by the Swine flu worldwide.Ten years since,Swine flu has become a seasonal virus.
- The study has shown that in India,the past decade (2009-2019) saw as many as 1.58 lakh persons being infected by the virus and over 10,000 succumbing to it.
- Maharashtra has reported the highest number of cases and deaths since pandemic influenza struck in 2009.
- H1N1 influenza or swine flu is a highly contagious acute respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza virus.It is called swine flu because it was known in the past to occur in people who had been in the vicinity of pigs.
- The symptoms of Swine flu include fever, body aches, loss of appetite, sore throat, vomiting among others.Most people with flu including swine flu require only symptom relief.Medications do not cure the illness but they may shorten the duration and make symptoms less severe.
