The human influenza virus, called H1N1, has resurfaced in the country, with dozens of sporadic cases reported from different states including AP and Maharashtra. Authorities are planning to screen passengers at airports if the number of cases keep increasing.
Virologists are trying to decode the genome of the circulating strain to ascertain if it has mutated since the 2009 pandemic to adapt itself to dry climate conditions. Though influenza viruses strike round the year, they are more active in wet conditions and low temperatures. Summer has begun in many parts of the country with the mercury soaring past 35o Celsius. That the H1N1 virus seems to be thriving in these conditions is causing scientists to wonder if the virus has mutated, and if so, to what extent. If the mutation is a major one, a new vaccine has to be developed.
The National Institute of Virology in Pune, Mahara-shtra, has begun sequencing the genome of the latest strain. The results are expected later this week. AP recorded about 50 cases of H1N1 so far this year with three patients succumbing to the virus. Maharashtra and Rajasthan have been worst hit so far, and authorities in AP, given the havoc the virus had caused in the past, have increased surveillance in border areas and major cities such as Hyderabad, Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam. Hyderabad district immunisation officer Dr C. Srinivasulu said there was no cause for panic as only sporadic cases have been reported. “There is no outbreak as of now. Also, the virus has been responding to drugs like Tamiflu,” he said.