
India Tuesday reported one more swine flu death, taking the total toll due to
the influenza A (H1N1) virus to 101, health authorities said here.
The latest death was reported from Goa. While two deaths in Karnataka were
suspected to be due to the virus, lab reports were still awaited.
Of the 101 deaths, Maharashtra has recorded the highest number of deaths, 55,
followed by 27 in Andhra Pradesh.
The union health ministry recommended
preventive homeopathy medicine,
Arsenicum
album 30. The decision to advise people to take the preventive medicine was
taken after the Central Council for Research in Homeopathy (CCRH), a state-run
research wing, gave the suggestion for curbing the spread of the diseases.
'It has recommended one doze of the medicine daily on empty stomach for three
days. The dose should be repeated after one month by following the same schedule
in case flu like conditions prevail in the area,' the ministry said in a
statement.
Meanwhile, 114 people were tested positive for the influenza A (H1N1) virus
Tuesday in the country, taking the total number of cases to 4,101.
Maharashtra continued to top the charts both in terms of deaths and positive
cases. On Tuesday, 48 fresh cases were from the state alone. So far, about 1,687
people have been affected due to the virus in the state.
It was followed by Delhi in the number of cases. At least 665 people have been
infected with the disease in the capital. On Tuesday, 10 fresh cases were
reported in the Indian capital.
Karnataka reported 22 fresh cases, taking the total number of people infected
with the virus to 463 - the third highest in the country.
Other fresh cases were reported from West Bengal (18) and Orissa (3). One case
each was reported from Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir and Chhattisgarh while
Puducherry and Chandigarh reported two swine flu cases each.
Meanwhile, a government study has found that swine flu is killing more young and
middle-aged people and those suffering from associated diseases like diabetes
and chronic heart ailment.
'We have conducted a study and found that more than 50 percent of those affected
by the virus were in the age group of 15-45 years,' R.K. Srivastava, director
general of the Directorate General of Health Services, told reporters.
'Deaths were also due to late reporting to identified health facilities and
delay in initiation of Tamiflu,' he said.
The report, which was presented to Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad during
Monday's stock-taking meeting of the ministry, studied the first 82 deaths that
occurred till Aug 31.
Among the dead were 43 men and 39 women including three pregnant women.
Srivastava said that of the 82 deaths, 61 were in urban areas and 19 in rural
areas.
He said there were five deaths in the age group of 0-5 years and three from 6-15
age group. Thirteen victims were from the age group of 16 to 25 years, while 18
people died in the age group of 26-35 years.
Srivastava said 24 people died in the age group of 36-45, as compared to 18 in
the age group of 46-65. Only one person died in the above 65-year category.