Prolonged spell of cold weather coupled with continuing rain could further increase the number of swine flu cases in Doon valley and other areas. Experts opine that the weather conditions are conducive for spread of H1 N1, the virus of the dreaded disease, which has already claimed 31 lives in less than one month.

The maximum temperature of Doon Valley is hovering around 18 degree Celsius while the minimum temperature is around at 7 degree Celsius these days. The spells of the rains have increased humidity and brought the temperature further down.

The senior physician of Chardham Hospital here,  Dr K P Joshi said that the lower temperature conditions are suited for multiplication and proliferation of virus, raising  chances of the spread of the diseases like swine flu. He said that state health department has so far reported 344 cases of swine flu after their swab samples were found positive for the disease.

The department sends the swab samples of the suspected patients of the disease to the laboratory of National Centre of Disease Control (NCDC), New Delhi for testing. Recently the health department has refused to give credence to the swine flu report of the Mahant Indiresh Hospital as according to it a team of officials of Union health ministry had found that the molecular lab of the hospital is not conforming to the guidelines of the NCDC, New Delhi. This was however objected by the hospital.

The chief medical officer ( CMO) of Dehradun, Dr S K Gupta claimed that the department is on alert mode on the disease. He accepted that the number of cases may increase with the drop in temperature. He, however, added that with increase in temperature, the spread of the virus would get contained.