The swine flu epidemic has been very serious in Pune this year, when compared to anywhere in the state or even in the country.
Doctors feel that it is partly to do with the erratic weather, besides factors including many not having developed immunity to the virus, like a few did, after it first broke out in 2009. Another factor could also be that the virus itself has developed immunity to temperature, which allows itself to sustain in higher temperatures unlike the claim that it can only survive in a cooler environment.
Dr Vijay Kumar Pawar, resident medical officer Aundh Civil Hospital said, “There are many factors for the recurrence of swine flu in Pune. One of the plausible reasons is that the virus itself has developed a new strain, which helps it to survive in warmer temperatures.”
“While humans beings develop immunity to the virus, the virus itself keeps transforming, which is why we get the cases that we do,” he added.
According to health officials, another important reason for the maximum cases of swine flu being diagnosed and confirmed from Pune, is the presence of National Virology Institute (NIV) in the region.
So even if swine flu cases are elsewhere, due to lack of lab facilities, those cases cannot be confirmed.
Dr S.T. Pardeshi, chief health officer of Pune Municipal Corporation said, “Apart form changes in the virus strain, we also have the NIV, which diligently collects H1N1 samples. This automatically results in higher numbers. There may be ample number of swine flu cases elsewhere too, but due to lack of adequate lab testing facilities, they may not have been reported.”
Another death on Sunday evening in the Pimpri Chinchwad Municial Corporation (PCMC), took the total death count in Pune to seven.