H1N1 alert across Madhya Pradesh in cold spell

BHOPAL: With state witnessing spurt in H1N1 cases, the Madhya Pradesh health department has issued a state-wide alert for H1N1 (swine flu) on Wednesday.Integrated Disease Surveillance Project (IDSP) that detects and responds to disease outbreaks, has warned of a rise in swine flu cases, given protracted winter season.
The virus has affected around 12 people in Bhopal in the month of January.On Wednesday, Bhopal lab diagonsed seven people with the infection, including four from Bhopal, two from Ashok Nagar and a native of Uttar Pradesh, said CMHO Bhopal, Dr NU Khan.
Hospitals have been advised to maintain adequate stock of required drugs Oseltamivir, Viral Diagnostic Kits, Viral Transport Media, Personal Protective Equipment and N-95 masks, at different levels in the health care system, said a health department official. Government run hospitals have also been requested to ensure that sufficient isolation facilities are available, well-equipped to manage critical respiratory emergencies, he added.
Meanwhile, H1N1 testing which generally takes more than four days, is expected to get much swifter with Madhya Pradesh’s first virology laboratory, established in Gandhi Medical College (GMC) beginning operations on Wednesday.
The tripled walled construction is located within GMC premises would conduct tests for virus including H1N1, influenzas, vector borne ailments including Zika virus, said Hamidia hospital superintendent, Dr AK Shrivastava.
About Rs 23 crores has been spent in the establishment of the lab. Prior to this, H1N1 tests were conducted in ICMR Jabalpur and AIIMS Bhopal.
Directorate of Medical Education (DME) commissioner Sheo Shekhar Shukla said the new laboratory is the largest laboratory at the regional level of the state and a varitey of viruses can now be identified at the state level itself.
Shukla said that in the second phase, Virology Lab will be established in Gwalior, Indore, Rewa and Sagar medical colleges. Undergraduate and postgraduate students will also be able to get training of state-of-the-art virus testing and can prepare state-level database related to new viruses. Doctors say the best best is to take precautions and maintain hygiene.