In Indore, unknown virus claims 64 lives in four months

INDORE: An unknown virus showing identical symptoms of swine flu has claimed 64 lives in the city and nearby districts in last four months.

Officials said that of the total suspected samples sent to virology lab in Bhopal, 39 were found swine flu positive including 13 deaths and 350 were dengue positive including one death. However, there is a virus which is yet to be identified and it has claimed 64 lives.

IDSP officer Dr Amit Malakar said, every year swine flu virus changes its genes which are identified by health department and accordingly antiviral medicines are updated.
“In 2015, the virus was identified as California swine flu which was named after the place where H1N1 death is recorded for the first time. The same mutated to a new form of virus identified as Michigan H1N1 Influenza in next two years,” said Dr Malakar.

This year the virus has not been identified due to which in many deaths, the samples didn’t confirm either swine flu or dengue.
“There is a common nature of virus found in sample of these 64 patients, however, the type of virus is yet to be identified. In most of the cases, it was found that the patient was suffering from cold and cough. The symptoms were similar to swine flu for which it was sent. However, the virus attacks immune system and leads to death,” said the doctor.
Officials said that recently instead of H1N1, samples were found H2N3 positive and medicines given to swine flu positive patients were not effective.
Till now 510 H1N1 suspected samples have been sent for test, of which 39 samples were found positive. Reports of 16 samples are still pending.