H1N1 swine flu infections to continue in India: Report

H1N1 influenza or swine flu infections may continue in India for one more year, reports said quoting heal officials.

Even though the trend in H1N1 swine flu infection is on the decline globally, it has now started showing up in places which are new. So, naturally India may have to face another year of swine flu infection, according to V M Katoch, Director General, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

“In places where swine flu cases were already reported, it has been contained. But we found that it is spreading to new pockets and hence we face the challenge for one more year. It is like a flood and will take some time to recede,” V M Katoch stated.

World Health Organisation recently reported that there is still intensive virus activity in some countries including India, even though H1N1 swine flu started waning in other parts of the world including US and Europe.

As of January 1, 2010, samples from 112766 persons have been tested for influenza A H1N1 swine flu in government laboratories and a few private laboratories across India of which 26039 or 23.09% of them have been found positive, according to release from  Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India issued by Press Information Bureau of India.

A total of 967 lab confirmed cases of deaths from H1N1 swine flu influenza virus infection have been registered in India.

India’s western state of Maharashtra accounted for maximum number of 268 deaths.This is followed by Rajasthan (149 deaths), Karnataka (133 deaths), Gujarat (117 deaths) and Delhi (72 deaths).

No cases of deaths have been reported in the states of West Bengal, Manipur, Meghalaya, Jharkhand and Bihar as well as from Union Territories of Daman & Diu and Andaman & Nicobar islands.

Of the total 26039 cases of confirmed H1N1 swine flu infections across India, the maximum number of 8494 H1N1 infections were registered in the capital city of New Delhi.

Maharashtra has confirmed 8494 H1N1 swine flu infections. This was followed by 4607 infections in Maharashtra; 2063 H1N1 swine flu infections in Tamil Nadu; 1925 infections in Rajasthan; 1895 infections in Haryana; 1879 in Karnataka and 1441 infections  in Kerala.

The least number of infections were registered in Manipur, Jharkhand and Daman & Diu —one case each.

On 31st December 2009, 16546 passengers have been screened at 11 airports with 40 counters manned by 98 doctors and 69 paramedics. Total passengers screened till date is 10176374.

Recently, India has placed an order with the French drug maker Sanofi Pasteur for supplying 1.5 million doses of H1N1 swine flu vaccine, reports said.

Sanofi Pasteur’s 2009 H1N1 swineflu vaccine batches will be available in India in January.

Sanofi Pasteur, for whom an order of 15 lakh vaccine dosages worth Rs 50 crore has been given, will soon start pre-market vaccine trials in India soon, reports said quoting India’s health ministry sources.

Initially, India was planning to import four million doses of the vaccine. Indian manufacturers will now supply the remaining doses.

However, the health ministry cut it down to 1.5 million doses, in view of the possibility indigenously produced H1N1 swine flu vaccine to be made available by March.

The health ministry has been trying to make the vaccine available in India for the last two months and had sped up regulatory approvals for studies to be conducted on the safety of the vaccine.

India has placed an order with the French drug maker Sanofi Pasteur for supplying 1.5 million doses of H1N1 swine flu vaccine, reports said.

Sanofi Pasteur’s 2009 H1N1 swineflu vaccine batches will be available in India in January.

Sanofi Pasteur, for whom an order of 15 lakh vaccine dosages worth Rs 50 crore has been given, will soon start pre-market vaccine trials in India soon, reports said quoting India’s health ministry sources.

GlaxoSmithKline, which supplies Pandemrix, Baxter (Celvapan) and Novartis (Focetria) are the other multinational vaccine suppliers who have been competing to supply H1N1 swine flu vaccines in India.

India’s health ministry has given approval to French drug maker Sanofi Pasteur for conducting pre-market trials of swine flu vaccine in the country, which is a mandatory condition for selling the vaccine in India.

Initially, India was planning to import four million doses of the vaccine. Indian manufacturers will now supply the remaining doses.

However, the health ministry cut it down to 1.5 million doses, in view of the possibility indigenously produced H1N1 swine flu vaccine to be made available by March.

The health ministry has been trying to make the vaccine available in India for the last two months and had sped up regulatory approvals for studies to be conducted on the safety of the vaccine.

Drug Control General of India has given approval to Zydus Cadila of Ahmedabad to carry out human studies of its H1N1 vaccine in India.