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NEW DELHI: North India suddenly finds itself facing a sharp upsurge of swine flu cases, with the virus having claimed 95 lives in just four states of the region so far this year.
As per health ministry data, 64 people have died due to H1N1 influenza in Rajasthan while 18 deaths have been reported from Haryana, 10 from Punjab and three in Delhi till Wednesday. As many as 494 cases have come to light in these states in the first 37 days of the year.
While the reason behind the spurt is being investigated, experts say the prolonged winter in the north may have played a role.
"In the past month or so, temperatures in north India have been in a range that coincides with the maximum spread of this air-borne disease. The virus was always present in the environment and favourable weather conditions gave it an opportunity to strike," said Dr Ekta Gupta, a virologist at the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS) in New Delhi.
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As per health ministry data, 64 people have died due to H1N1 influenza in Rajasthan while 18 deaths have been reported from Haryana, 10 from Punjab and three in Delhi till Wednesday. As many as 494 cases have come to light in these states in the first 37 days of the year.
While the reason behind the spurt is being investigated, experts say the prolonged winter in the north may have played a role.
"In the past month or so, temperatures in north India have been in a range that coincides with the maximum spread of this air-borne disease. The virus was always present in the environment and favourable weather conditions gave it an opportunity to strike," said Dr Ekta Gupta, a virologist at the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS) in New Delhi.
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