More healthy children in the state have succumbed to swine flu, or influenza A (H1N1), than to underlying ailments, including HIV.
A death audit of H1N1 patients in Pune’s Sassoon General Hospital (which treated the maximum number of swine flu cases in Maharashtra) has proved wrong the theory that better immunity in children could shield against swine flu. The trend, however, is the reverse for adults.
The audit, conducted on October 23, showed that all eight children who had succumbed to the virus at Sassoon were healthy, not immuno-compromised, a government official said. “On the other hand, we had children with HIV/Aids suffering from malaria, dengue and even cardiac ailments. They were cured after being administered Tamiflu,” he said.
Sassoon had checked 317 children for H1N1, with 52 testing positive.
“The state will look into the reasons why so many children tested negative when the virus was in the air,” he said.
“Experts think since healthy children fought the virus with more virulence, their immune system could have collapsed faster,” added the official.
Dr Arun Jamkar, dean, BJ Medical College, Pune, said: “Of the 44 children discharged after successful treatment, at least 10 were suffering from underlying ailments, but still fought the swine flu virus.” The findings will be studied further, he said.
Dr Pravin Shingare, joint director, Directorate of Medical Education and Research, said that the findings have taken health experts by surprise. “About 80% of adults who succumbed to H1N1 were suffering from co-morbid conditions like diabetes, hypertension, heart problems and HIV/Aids.”
Maharashtra has been worst hit by swine flu, with about 180 people losing their lives. In Mumbai, 29 people died, among them 8 children. The city is yet to undertake a Sassoon-like study.
The state government will share the Sassoon findings with global agencies through video conference on Wednesday. Among the participants will be top bureaucrats, health officers from state hospitals, the Union ministry of health, the Atlanta-based Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organisation.
