More than 70 people across the country succumbed to swine flu in just two days since February 10 as the toll from the disease so far this year reached 485, which is more than double the number of deaths reported in the whole of 2014.
Even as the Union health ministry seems to be searching for an explanation behind the sudden spurt in the incidence of the disease, official data said that the total number of cases of swine flu reported till February 12 this year has reached 6,298.
After the ministry reported 216 deaths due to swine flu in the first 10 days of February -- which had put the toll between January 1 and February 10 at 407 -- it on Friday said that the number of casualties till Feb 12 stands at 485.
In 2014, there were 937 reported cases of swine flu and the disease had claimed 218 lives.
“This year, there have been 6,298 cumulative cases while there have been 485 deaths from January 1 to February 12,” said Arun Panda, additional secretary, health ministry.
As per the data, Rajasthan has seen the maximum 130 deaths due to swine flu while 1,631 cases have been reported in the state till February 12. In Gujarat, in the same period, 117 people have died of swine flu with the state reporting 1,233 cases.
Fifty-six people died in Madhya Pradesh, which reported 192 cases, while there have been 51 casualties in Maharashtra out of the 352 cases which came to light there till Feb. 12.
In Telangana, 45 people have died due to the disease while 969 cases have been reported so far. In Delhi, although the number of deaths stood at six, 1,189 cases have been reported till now in the national capital.
“The incidence (of swine flu) and deaths happen during this time of the year. It does not happen in May, June or even March. It is inversely proportional to the ambient temperature. Once the temperature shoots up, the incidence comes down.
“There is no explanation and reason behind this spurt... The virus is the same H1N1 strain since 2009. There has been no mutation. So, it’s very difficult to explain why in a particular year it has come down so drastically and, then, the very next year, it shot up again,” Panda said.
Panda said that one of the reasons behind the large number of reported cases this year is that more people are coming forward and getting themselves tested for the disease.
Asked if the government has conducted a mortality analysis.
