District Coordinator Epidemic Control Program Dr Attaur Rehman told this scribe that patient Ghulam Fatima, a resident of Multan referred to Nishtar hospital ward No 7 after she received chest infection a couple days back. Later she shifted and moved to Intensive Care Unit in critical condition where she expired. He said the patient was having the symptoms of NIH1 and his blood samples dispatched for clinical analysis.
The official statistics have showed the spread of disease observed in Multan at large scale where seven patients died out of total while one patient died belonged to Muzaffargarh district.
Several patients carrying H1N1 symptoms including women and children were still under treatment at the hospital.
Among the expired patients were including Fazlan Bibi 45 years (Muzaffargarh), Ddilshad Bibi 48 (Multan), Nisar Fatima 26 (Multan), Amjad 45, (Multan), Mureed 55 (Multan), Tahir Sadique 52 (Multan), Asim 44 (Multan) and Ghulam Fatima 50, (Multan).
Dr Attaur Rehman said that the seasonal influenza vaccine and all medicine were available in bulk quantity at the hospital and there was no shortage of medicines.
On the other hand, City District Government Multan has announced a massive awareness drive against the spread of the disease and to combat it at the union council level. District Influenza Control Room for prevention and control of the Seasonal Influenza A (H1N1) has been established at the District Health Authority CEO office.
The City District Government has reactivated Rapid Response Team for case reporting, diagnosis and treatment of Swine Flu and established three flu counters at Nishtar hospital’s emergency ward, medical OPD and Paeds Unit, officials said.
While explaining the disease senior physician Dr Imran Rafiq said the Swine flu (swine influenza) is a respiratory disease caused by viruses (influenza viruses) Swine flu can last about one to two weeks in pigs that survive.
Swine influenza transmits from person to person by inhalation or ingestion of droplets containing virus from people sneezing or coughing; it is not transmitted by eating cooked pork products. The newest swine flu virus that has caused swine flu is influenza A H3N2v (commonly termed H3N2v) that began as an outbreak in 2011. There have been small outbreaks of H1N1 influenza since the pandemic; a recent one is in India where at least three people have died.
The incubation period for swine flu is about one to four days, with the average being two days; in some people, the incubation period may be as long as about seven days in adults and children.
