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Swine flu is back: Here's how you can prevent this deadly disease

As per data provided by NCDC, a total of 884 cases had been recorded this year with 14 resulting in death, as of 16th February.

Myupchar|Feb 27, 2020, 16:22:13 IST

Six judges of the Supreme Court of India are down with swine flu. This has affected many major case hearings like the Sabrimala case. On 25th Feb 2020, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud revealed in his courtroom that six judges of the Supreme Court have been affected with swine flu. He further added that there has been a meeting with the Chief Justice of India, S.A. Bobde, to find the measures to put this situation to rest. The judges, advocates and the court staff are advised to get the swine flu vaccination to prevent the spread of this deadly respiratory disease. [caption id="attachment_3911865" align="alignleft" width="380"]

Representational image. Reuters[/caption]As per data provided by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), a total of 884 cases had been recorded this year with 14 resulting in death, as of 16th February. The maximum number of cases have been noted in Tamil Nadu with 172 cases, followed by 152 cases in Delhi. Karnataka and Telangana aren't much behind with 151 and 148 cases, respectively.

What is swine flu

Swine flu is a type of influenza virus which was originally a disease of pigs, and thus it is named after the animal. This disease spread to the humans who were involved in taking care of the infected pigs or the ones who ate the infected pork. Once infected, a sick human can transfer the H1N1 virus (the swine flu virus) by sneezing or coughing. People with weak immunity or chronic diseases, old-aged people and pregnant women are at a higher risk of developing the disease.

Treatment of swine flu

A swine flu patient may present with flu-like signs such as chills, fever, cough, runny nose, headache, body ache and sore throat.The treatment of swine flu involves isolation of the infected person to prevent the spread of the disease. The infected person is given anti-viral drugs like zanamivir or peramivir to kill the virus.

Prevention of swine flu

There is a vaccine available in hospitals for the prevention of swine flu. The first injectable vaccine of swine flu in India, called Vaxiflu-S, was developed on 3rd June 2015 by an Ahemdabad-based company Zydus Cadila which cost Rs 300. However, the first intranasal spray ‘Nasovac’ was developed on 5th June 2015 and had lesser side effects and easier administration, at the of cost Rs 200 for a single shot.Sanofi Pasteur, a France-based pharmaceutical company, also provides a 4-strain influenza vaccine ‘FluQuadri’ which provides protection against the four strains of influenza virus, i.e., two strains of type A and two strains of type B. It costs Rs 1,400 for a single shot. There are some basic hygiene measures, that can help you prevent the disease:

Avoid contact with infected people. Wear mouth masks (that cover the nose and the mouth) while visiting public places that may have infected droplets in the air.
Drink 2 litres of water every day to keep yourself hydrated.
Wash your hands with soap and water before having any meal.
Cook the meat (chicken or pork) at a temperature higher than 70 degrees.

For more information, read our article on Swine Flu.Health articles in Firstpost are written by myUpchar.com, India’s first and biggest resource for verified medical information. At myUpchar, researchers and journalists work with doctors to bring you information on all things health.

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