Though effect of H1N1 virus is gradually dwindling in Gujarat due to soaring temperature, new cases of swine flu are also being detected in the State with four more succumbing to the disease on Thursday. Gujarat's swine flu toll has risen to 404 since January this year, said Gujarat Government's health department release. Besides, 30 new cases of H1N1 virus infection were detected in the State on the day, taking the number of confirmed cases to 6,301 since January 1.
"One death each was reported in Ahmedabad, Surat, Amreli and Surendranagar districts in the State due to H1N1," confirmed the official source of the State health department.
He claimed that 5,571 patients affected by the virus were cured and discharged so far, while 66 patients were discharged on Thursday. As far as the 30 new cases of swine flu are concerned, six each were reported from Ahmedabad and Surat, five from Rajkot, four from Vadodara and nine from other districts from across Gujarat.
The swine flu scare is still around with precautionary measures are being undertaken like distributing surgical masks at public functions. Besides, demand for homeopathic flu medicines which claims to boost immunity against the H1N1 virus has surged rapidly.
Various organisations are conducting awareness camps on the deadly disease in which apart from various medicines, some traditional homely medicine (camper, cardamom) are being recommended by the experts. Even the sale of sanitisers are showing a northward trend, said a chemist adding that even in the case of normal fever, doctors are advising their patients to use sanitisers.
"Gujarat is the worst-hit State as far as the swine flu is concerned, followed by neighbouring Rajasthan and MP. Many H1N1 infected patients are coming to Ahmedabad and Vadodara from the adjoining districts of neighbouring States," said a senior official in the State health department.