Two-fold rise in throat swabs reaching NIV [includes paragraph about a point mutation from 3 patients' throat swabs]
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city ... 478988.cmsTwo-fold rise in throat swabs reaching NIV
PUNE: The number of throat swabs of critical patients being sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) for testing H1N1 infection has witnessed a two-fold increase in the last one month (from December).
Similarly, the infection rate of H1N1 influenza has also rose to 25 per cent during the same period, said Mandeep Chadha, deputy director of NIV, on Tuesday. “We now receive 85 to 100 throat swabs every day. They are mainly from Pune and rest of Maharashtra. Mumbai has stopped sending us the swabs after testing started at the Haffkine Institute,” said Chadha.
The infection rate of the swine flu virus has also increased. “Earlier, the infection rate was between 15 to 20 per cent, whch has now touched the 25 per cent mark,” said Chadha.
Commenting on the point genetic mutation seen in throat swabs of three patients who succumbed to the virus, Chadha said, “We didn’t see any change in the genetic make-up of the virus after that.” Of the three patients, two were from Pune and one from Nashik, said Chadha. The mutation was detected in the haemagglutinin (HA) region of the virus’ gene, she added.
Elaborating it further, state epidemiologist Pradip Awate said, “The weekly infection cases of H1N1 virus in Maharashtra has increased from 100 to over 135 from December onwards. Winter provides ideal setting for increased activity of any influenza virus. The same principal applies to the swine flu virus as well.”
The state, so far, has registered 5,604 positive cases of the H1N1 influenza, of which more than 2,000 cases are from Pune alone, added Awate. The district also tops in death chart with 166 casualties of the 300 registered in the state.
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