80% of Gujarat’s suspected H1N1 cases test -ve

Despite the health scare caused by the swine flu deaths in the country, Gujarat is doing quite well in its fight against the disease. Of the 470 people who were tested for H1N1 infection in the state till August 21, 376 had tested negative. This means 80% of the suspected cases of swine flu in Gujarat have been found to be free of the virus after tests.

Further, Gujarat health and family welfare department reported that only one suspected case of the disease had tested positive for swine flu in the state on Friday. Medical experts believe that the main reason why not many have died of the disease in the state is the promptness with which the state government reacted to the epidemic threat.

Besides setting up a government testing centre in Ahmedabad, the government also set up isolation wards in several government hospitals across the state. Its urgency of purpose became clear when it finally invoked the Epidemic Act-1897.

"Another reason why it has been possible to contain the spread of swine flu in the state is that the epidemic hit India much after it had struck other countries," said Dr Atul Patel, an infectious diseases expert. "Indian health authorities were able to learn from the experience of other nations and were better prepared to deal with the epidemic."

Meanwhile, sources in the state health department said private hospitals which had agreed to work with the state government in treating H1N1 cases had been granted permission to collect throat swabs and blood samples and send them for confirmatory tests to the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital.

Until now, medical technicians from the Civil Hospital went to the private hospital concerned to collect the samples for testing. Medical Superintendent of Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, Dr MM Anchalia, said medical technicians from the private hospitals had been given training in collecting swabs and blood samples of suspected cases of swine flu.