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Anuradha Varanasi
Anuradha Varanasi

H1N1 OUTBREAK

Swine flu on the rise in Maharashtra, Mumbai records first death

India Swine Flu [File] As many as 165 people have succumbed to the disease in Maharashtra this year | AP

In the midst of a sweltering summer in Mumbai, an 18-month-old succumbed to swine flu on April 28, raising concerns about how fast the influenza virus has been spreading across Maharashtra since the last few months.

The deceased patient, Rakib from Worli, Mumbai, was admitted to Kasturba hospital on April 25 in a serious condition and was started on Tamil flu. However, his condition worsened and he had to be put on ventilator support. Speaking to THE WEEK, the patient's father, Tanveer Ansari, says, "He had first developed a mild fever and vomiting which went from bad to worse. We then immediately admitted him to a private hospital in the city where he was kept in the ICU. However, we were unhappy with the treatment there and shifted him to Kasturba hospital."

After developing breathlessness, he was shifted to another hospital before he was finally admitted to the civic-run Kasturba hospital in Chinchpokoli, Mumbai. Three days later, he succumbed to sepsis caused by H1N1 or swine flu, according to an official from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

Since January this year, 844 patients have tested positive for swine flu and other 165 have succumbed to the air-borne disease in Maharashtra, according to Dr Pradeep Awate, the state survey epidemics officer. Most of these cases have been reported in Western Maharashtra.

According to Dr Mini Khetrapal, BMC's epidemiologist, this s the first swine flu death in Mumbai. "The cases of swine flu in the city have been few and sporadic. Mumbai is not affected by the virus as compared to other parts of the state."

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Topics : #swine flu

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