ISLAMABAD: Swine flu has no existence in the country rather seasonal influenza is the reason behind the 17 deaths reported this year.
State Minister for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Saira Afzal Tarar categorically stated it during a press conference on Tuesday.
Flanked by an official of World Health Organisation (WHO) Dr Quamrul Hasan, she said that Pakistan is hit by a strain of seasonal influenza that is termed as A-H1N1.
She told that a total of 350 samples from across Pakistan have been tested at National Institute of Health (NIH) for the present strain of influenza affecting the country. 110 persons were tested positive for the disease and 15 deaths were reported from Punjab, one from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and one from Islamabad last year in November and December.
She further said that most deaths were reported among persons with multiple diseases. The flu is mostly affecting elderly, pregnant women and children and those having acute chronic health problems, she added.
While clarifying the confusion in media and public, she said in June 2009, WHO declared the strain of swine origin H1NI as a pandemic virus.
She recalled that the 2009 virus contained genetic material from pigs, the public and media often called it ‘swine flu’. This virus spread worldwide and caused about 17,000 deaths in the start of 2010.
On August 10, 2010, WHO declared H1N1 influenza pandemic saying worldwide flu activity had returned to typical seasonal patterns.
The minister further said that the present strain of virus has been in circulation in the human population and is termed as influenza A-H1N1 in order to differentiate it from the previous seasonal viruses circulating in humans before the swine flu pandemic.
She said the present virus is designated as seasonal influenza virus and continues to circulate in different parts of the world causing variable levels of disease and outbreaks, adding that the severity of this virus is similar to other flu viruses and has no potential of becoming a pandemic. It is mistakenly reported that the flu has no cure as medicine for it is widely available in the market and all provinces also have their stocks, she added.
According to NIH, antiviral drugs (Oseltamivir) can make illness milder and shorten the time of sickness. It works best if dose is given within 72 hours of start of illness. Saira said NIH in its journal alerts about diseases informing about areas where outbreak is occurring.
DAILY TIMES.
YEMI.
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