Swine flu alert in Manipur
Source: Hueiyen News Service / NNN

Imphal, February 19 2015: Manipur health department on Thursday sounded an alert in the State after a case of Swine flu (H1N1 flu) was reportedly detected in the neighbouring state of Nagaland. O Ibomcha, Director of State Health Directorate told a media conference here that health workers under the state health directorate have been put on alert based on media reports of confirming a case in Nagaland and Myanmar.

Surveillance cells have been opened in all the nine districts of the State and District Medical officers and disease surveillance officers have been asked to step surveillance works with necessary steps to spread awareness to the people about the disease, he said.

While pointing out that prolonged winter could have been one of the reasons behind the spread of the disease in the country, Ibomcha said that as the same climatic condition was prevailing in the region too, it was quite possible for the disease to reach the State too.

He appealed the people of the state not to go places where the disease was spreading.

"We cannot stop the virus.

But there is no need to panic and awareness about it is a must.

People should not unnecessarily rush to hospitals," Ibomcha said.

The deadly Swine Flu has reached the Indian shores following the global outbreak and now, claimed one life.

The health director appealed the people to make sure to keep up to date on the information and act in a calm manner.

"If a person becomes sick with swine flu, antiviral drugs can make the illness milder and make the patient feel better quicker.

For treatment, antiviral drugs work best if started soon after getting sick (within 2 days of symptoms)" he observed.

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