A 70-year old patient died of influenza at Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) here today, taking toll due to the viral respiratory infection to 17, with authorities claiming that Kashmir was witnessing “shift in circulating virus strain”.
A doctor said the patient, a female, was suffering from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and septic encephalopathy and was being supported on ventilator. This is the 15th death due to flu at SKIMS since September 2018.
While improvement in weather was expected to bring down number of cases of viral flu, the raging H1N1 influenza in neighboring states has led to spike in the cases in Kashmir as well, said the doctor.
Another doctor at SKIMS said that after a season predominated by H3N2 influenza that claimed most of the lives this season, Kashmir is witnessing a surge in H1N1 influenza.
The shift underlined that “guards can’t be lowered yet” and people need to continue with precautionary measures, said the doctor.
Prof Parvaiz A Kaul, head department of internal and pulmonary medicine at SKIMS, who heads influenza surveillance laboratory at the Institute, said that there was “gradual shift in the predominant circulating influenza virus strain”.
“Initially, for months, we had just one H1N1 positive case, while the rest of the samples had tested positive for H3N2,” he said. “But currently, the share (of H1N1) cases was 4 out of every ten cases.”
Prof Koul said that shift in circulating strain was “expected” due to the pattern of the cases in neighboring states, especially New Delhi which is undergoing high viral activity.
“Many deaths have taken place in previous months in many parts of India,” he said, adding that there was “high traffic” of people travelling to and from the places where H1N1 is high, and it was expected to rise this month. “At least 30 flights operate between Srinagar and other cities daily, so imagine the number of people that are travelling,” he said.
Regarding precautions, he said people can reduce chances of influenza with simple steps – hand hygiene, cough etiquettes and avoiding crowded, closed places.
“In addition, those at risk, such as pregnant women, elderly, diabetics, cancer patients and others must get vaccinated,” he said. “The precautions measures remain the same, although H1N1 is seen to affect younger age group more compared to others”.
Medical superintendent SKIMS, Dr Farooq A Jan said that data from another SKIMS laboratory that also carried out influenza testing was showing an increase in H1N1 activity. “Currently, it is like one out of every four samples is testing positive for H1N1 influenza,” he said.
According to data at SKIMS 74 patients, positive for influenza have been admitted in the past couple of months. While 15 patients have lost life at SKIMS, two patients died of H1N1 at SMHS Hospital last month.
At associated hospitals of the Government Medical College, Srinagar, 51 samples have tested positive for influenza this season, of which 10 were identified as H1N1 cases.