With a fresh case of untimely Swine Flu reported in Jharkhand, epidemiologists here claim that the disease is gradually becoming a “perennial flu”, which can infect any person at any time of the year. Earlier, people contracted Swine Flu virus only during the change of season from winter to summer but isolated cases are now being reported even during other seasons of the year, they said on Tuesday.
“We can certainly not call it an outbreak, but we are prepared to monitor and combat any future cases in the state,” said State Surveillance Officer of Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), Rakesh Dayal. “It has become a perennial flu now. There is no specific season when a person is likely to contract the infection, it can happen at any time of the year as influenza viruses circulate throughout the year,” he added.
In the latest case of Swine Flu reported in Jharkhand, a middle aged woman contracted the infection after attending a wedding. The patient’s relatives told doctors at Medica Superspecialty Hospital in Ranchi that relatives from other parts of the country had attended the wedding. Doctors suspect that one of the invitees to the wedding carried the infection to Ranchi.
“Yesterday (Monday) we issued a directive to keep a check on viral infections and diseases since they usually occur during the monsoon season. We are ready with medications and other requirements to check further spreading of the diseases,” Dayal said.
Swine Flu cases in Jharkhand have reached an all-time high this year with 57 cases reported so far. Simdega was said to be the epicenter of the outbreak. The figures are particularly alarming since they have increased 14 times compared to last year. In 2018, Jharkhand saw only four cases of Swine Flu and one death due to the disease.
Jharkhand has already witnessed a Swine Flu death this year in the state capital. Hitesh Kumar, who worked in the merchant navy in South Korea, died of Swine Flu in the city on January 25. Kumar returned to Ranchi in mid-January after being taken ill and lived in an apartment on Kanke Road.
After complaining of high fever, chills and severe body aches, he was admitted in Medanta Hospital in the last week of January.
Dr. Praveen Kumar Karn, an epidemiologist with the IDSP, said, “The flu virus is active throughout the year. Earlier, it was most active from the month of March to May. We may call it seasonal influenza now.”
Meanwhile, the State has also sounded an alert for Japanese Encephalitis (JE) after at least 12 cases were reported this year. As per figures with the State Vector Borne Disease Control Programme, at least 327 samples were tested for JE this year in Jharkhand. Besides, at least 25 cases of Dengue and 10 cases of Chikungunya were reported in Jharkhand so far. The State Health Department has directed the Civil Surgeons of all the 24 districts here to regularly monitor cases of vector borne diseases in the interiors of their district.