The Cabinet Secretary Shri Ajit Kumar Seth today chaired a Committee of Secretaries meeting to review the state of preparedness to contain the incidence of H1N1 virus. Secretaries from Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Biotechnology, Pharmaceuticals were among those who attended the meeting.
The Cabinet secretary was apprised that a central team was deputed to Pune on April 8, 2012 to investigate the outbreak of Influenza A H1N1 and their preliminary report shows that the cases and deaths reported from Pune and Pimpri-Chinchiwad are sporadic in nature. A central stockpile of Oseltamivir tablets (anti viral drug) is being maintained and D/o Pharmaceuticals is monitoring availability of raw ingredient for making the drug. There is adequate stock of drugs and vaccines for treatment of people affected by the illness and immunization of health care personnel and whosoever may require it. Vaccine manufactured by indigenous manufacturers is also available.
The medical response system has been put on a state of preparedness. Forty five laboratories are testing samples (26 in Government sector and 19 in Private Sector). The test is done free of cost in Government laboratories/Integrated Disease Surveillance Project supported private laboratories (KMC, Manipal and CMC, Vellore). A nationwide network of laboratories in the private sector are also available for rapid diagnosis.
It was also stated that at the time of the early warning of the cases in Pune itself, an advisory was sent to all the States/UTs about the possibility of sporadic outbreaks of H1N1 influenza. Owing to reports circulating in the media regarding mutation in the virus, expert opinion was sought from the Director, National Institute of Virology, Pune who has stated that there is no mutation to suggest change of virus to ‘dangerous form’ and that the present strain of H1N1 pandemic virus are susceptible to Oseltamivir and the currently available vaccine can be used for protection against the virus. In the first week of March almost 30% of referred samples were positive for H1N1 in Pune which has now come down to approximately 10%.
During the period from March 1, 2012 to April 9, 2012, 689 cases of H1N1 have been reported from Maharashtra (392 cases), Karnataka (104), Andhra Pradesh (66), Rajasthan (84), Tamil Nadu (28), Delhi (6), Gujarat (5) and in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh (one each). During the same period, 35 deaths have been reported, of which 15 were from Maharashtra, nine from Rajasthan, six from Andhra Pradesh, two from Gujarat and one each from Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
M/o Health & Family Welfare has been asked to monitor the situation on a day to day basis and take all possible steps to ensure that the drug and vaccine are available in sufficient stock.
The Cabinet secretary was apprised that a central team was deputed to Pune on April 8, 2012 to investigate the outbreak of Influenza A H1N1 and their preliminary report shows that the cases and deaths reported from Pune and Pimpri-Chinchiwad are sporadic in nature. A central stockpile of Oseltamivir tablets (anti viral drug) is being maintained and D/o Pharmaceuticals is monitoring availability of raw ingredient for making the drug. There is adequate stock of drugs and vaccines for treatment of people affected by the illness and immunization of health care personnel and whosoever may require it. Vaccine manufactured by indigenous manufacturers is also available.
The medical response system has been put on a state of preparedness. Forty five laboratories are testing samples (26 in Government sector and 19 in Private Sector). The test is done free of cost in Government laboratories/Integrated Disease Surveillance Project supported private laboratories (KMC, Manipal and CMC, Vellore). A nationwide network of laboratories in the private sector are also available for rapid diagnosis.
It was also stated that at the time of the early warning of the cases in Pune itself, an advisory was sent to all the States/UTs about the possibility of sporadic outbreaks of H1N1 influenza. Owing to reports circulating in the media regarding mutation in the virus, expert opinion was sought from the Director, National Institute of Virology, Pune who has stated that there is no mutation to suggest change of virus to ‘dangerous form’ and that the present strain of H1N1 pandemic virus are susceptible to Oseltamivir and the currently available vaccine can be used for protection against the virus. In the first week of March almost 30% of referred samples were positive for H1N1 in Pune which has now come down to approximately 10%.
During the period from March 1, 2012 to April 9, 2012, 689 cases of H1N1 have been reported from Maharashtra (392 cases), Karnataka (104), Andhra Pradesh (66), Rajasthan (84), Tamil Nadu (28), Delhi (6), Gujarat (5) and in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh (one each). During the same period, 35 deaths have been reported, of which 15 were from Maharashtra, nine from Rajasthan, six from Andhra Pradesh, two from Gujarat and one each from Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
M/o Health & Family Welfare has been asked to monitor the situation on a day to day basis and take all possible steps to ensure that the drug and vaccine are available in sufficient stock.
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