Swine flu on the rise in Telangana; 496 tested positive in 2019 so far; mortality rate remains low

Hyderabad: The state of Telangana is witnessing an alarming rise in the number of swine flu cases, with at least 496 people testing positive for the seasonal influenza so far this year. Sharing details of the swine flu cases in the state, Dr K Shankar, director, Government Institute of Preventive Medicine, told ANI, “In January 2019, we have tested 1,657 swine flu samples from across Telangana in which 307 were tested positive." [caption id=“attachment_3911865” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. Reuters[/caption] “And in February till today, we have tested 1,108 swine flu samples, out which 189 were tested positive. A total of 496 cases were reported till now in this year,” he said. He said the rise in number of cases could be attributed to fluctuating temperatures among other reasons. “In this season, swine flu is still persisting probably due to fluctuations in the temperature. Mortality is less compared to other states but the spread of the disease is more. People should take more precautions and measures to protect themselves from swine flu” he said. Although the number of cases is high, Shankar pointed out that mortality rate is very less. Swine flu is an infection caused by one of the several swine influenza viruses (SIV), with the H1N1 strain being the most common across India. H1N1 virus spreads when an individual touches an infected person or breathes droplets of coughs and sneezes that are in the air.