MANIPAL/MANGALORE:To prevent and contain the outbreak of H1N1, the Dakshina Kannada and Udupi district health and family welfare departments have set guidelines for screening, testing and isolation. With nine H1N1 cases reported in Udupi district this year so far, Surendra Chimbalkar, district health officer in-charge, said all measures have been taken to handle all cases of fever.
"Ten isolation beds have been readied at the district government hospital in Ajjarakad. There are also five beds reserved for treating H1N1 patients in taluk government hospitals in Karkala and Kundapur." He further said that pamphlets with dos and don'ts are being distributed at various places in the city and rural areas. The department has enough stock of Tamiflu to treat patients in KMC hospital, Manipal, TMA Pai Hospital, Udupi and Adarsha Hospital, Udupi. District rapid response team (RRT) has been also extending its helping hand to contain the spread of the disease.
The district government hospital in Udupi is facing shortage of syrup, but Tamiflu capsules are available. He said tablets have been converted into syrup and given to patients. Dr Rohini, district surveillance officer, health department, appealed to people to avoid attending functions and social gatherings for some weeks.
She also said that in case more than five children of the same school or in a same locality/colony have fever, it is always better to go to the nearby hospital as it would help health department officials to isolate such vulnerable groups, she said. H1N1 cases in Udupi/Manipal: Dr Rohini said that of the 52 suspected cases reported in Udupi district since January this year, nine tested positive, with no casualties so far. Of these nine cases, seven were from Udupi and two were from Kundapur taluk.
Five of the nine patients have recovered and discharged. The remaining four are being treated. She told TOI that Udupi had reported the first case of H1N1 in June in 2009 in Manipal University campus. That year 28 had tested positive. The years- 2010 and 2014 -had comparatively more with 41 and 44 cases respectively.
In all Udupi has reported 180 cases of H1N1 so far since 2009 and 24 deaths have occurred.
10 positive cases, 2 deaths in DK district. Dakshina Kannada district has seen two deaths due to H1N1 since January this year. Both victims were not from the district.
Dr Rajesh BV, district surveillance officer, said that of the 60 samples sent to Manipal for testing 10 tested positive. Of the 10 who tested positive only one was from the district, where an intern treating a H1N1 patient came down with the influenza symptoms. "She fine now,'' said Dr Rajesh.
The first death was that of Anjana Patel,45, from Rajasthan who had come here for her mother-in-law's funeral. She travelled through from Shillong, Gujarat and Mumbai. She had severe cough and cold while arriving here and had not taken any medications. After two days she was admitted to a nursing home in Alake for severe stomach pain and diarrhea. When she developed breathlessness, she was shifted to a hospital where they administered Tamiflu, but she died on January 5.
Another case was that of Brijesh MB, 33, from Parappa, Kasaragod who died early this month. He had come from Dubai and he had influenza symptoms. Dr Rajesh said he was in the hospital for four days and though he was administered Tamiflu, he succumbed.
As of now District Government Wenlock Hospital has kept five isolation beds - one in paediatric department and four in general. ``Likewise all hospitals have one or two isolation beds to treat such patients. When the need arises it will be increased,'' said Dr Rajesh.
But health workers, who are in contact with such patients, are not getting vaccinated as the state government has not supplied any vaccines. Health minister UT Khader said it is not recommended by the WHO, hence the government cannot make it mandatory in hospitals.
Dr BS Kakkilaya, physician, said there are doubts about the efficacy of the vaccine. and it is reported that it ranges from 69% in adults to 39% in elderly "Moreover, this vaccine with moderate benefit may lull health workers in contact with H1N1 patients into a false sense of security,'' he said.
The district was supplied with 300 vaccines in 2010 and thereafter none till date.
