Do slum dwellers exhibit some resistance against H1N1 ?

[Celvin11]

Recently written, interesting article from India

Do slum dwellers exhibit some resistance against H1N1 virus ?

General perception is that slumdwellers
would be highly susceptible to
swine flu, but the facts indicate otherwise.
Of the 34 deaths, only 2 victims (one
adult and one infant) were from the
slums (Times of India, Pune: 4 August to
4 September 2009). Slums account for
42% of Pune’s population. However,
only 6% of flu deaths were from slums,
an indication that slum dwellers exhibit
some resistance to the flu virus.

Madhav G Deo

http://www.ias.ac.in/currsci/nov102009/1278.pdf

Related

62 million slum dwellers, but India will be slum free
http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal...-india-will-be-slum-free-selja_100246490.html

Dharavi, in Mumbai (Maharashtra), is the country's largest shantytown, with a population somewhere between 0.6 and 1.0 million
Population density is an incredible 250-300,000 people per sq km

DHARAVI
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2007/05/dharavi-mumbai-slum/jacobson-text

A DAY IN DHARAVI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILycPHwieYk&NR=1

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Do slum dwellers exhibit some resistance against H1N1 ?

A few of points that come to mind;

- The data quoted in the article is up to Sept 3. Since then the number of fatalities in both Pune and Maharashtra in general has quadrupled. I'd be interested to see if the apparant immunity has persisted.

- Initially, H1N1 in India was a disease of the well off. Brought in by those who could afford international travel. Early on, patients are from private schools, brought to private hospitals. On August 31 TOI remarked on this. http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123436 .

- The slum dweller in question died on the 26th of August. I think that Sep 3rd is too soon to make the pronouncement that slumdwellers are immune.

- Access to care and testing. Poor people can't afford it. I'm not sure what the was the case in Pune, but in Bangalore, the patient was responsible for the first Rs. 2,000 of the bill. http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123253 .

- Someone dies of pneumonia every minute in India. Their families often claim the bodies prior to autopsy or any postmortem testing.

 

[Celvin11]

Re: Do slum dwellers exhibit some resistance against H1N1 ?

Yes, findings might turn out to be too premature, covering the first month of outbreak only - although, I noticed article was published on 10 Nov

CURRENT SCIENCE, VOL. 97, NO. 9, 10 NOVEMBER 2009

Question remains interesting though : How are poor people affected compared with the more wealtier , in India as well as elsewhere