Seasonal flu can be dangerous

BANGALORE: H1N1 flu, dengue and chikungunya may be holding the city at ransom. But the seasonal flu, which is rampant in Bangalore, has gone unnoticed amidst the scare of these deadly diseases.
According to Columbia Asia Hospital infectious disease expert Sunita Desikan, 98% patients treated at most of hospitals are for seasonal flu. "A significant number of them suffer from pneumonia and less than 2% patients are affected by H1N1 virus," she revealed.
Health and family welfare director Usha Vasankar said a large number of suspected patients tested for H1N1 flu were actually suffering from seasonal flu.
"Till last year, if a patient was not affected by bacterial pneumonia, we were treating them as typical viral pneumonia (A type), and routine test were not done for influenza."
According to her, only after the global pandemic H1N1 flu alert, they are testing and categorizing influenza virus as A, B and H1N1 virus.
Manipal consultant of infectious disease Purnima Parthasarathy explained: "Seasonal flu can cause severe complication like pneumonia and lung failure and it affects all age group. In fact, seasonal flu causes more deaths than what H1N1 flu has caused so far."
According to her, in community acquired influenza, mortality is usually low. "Only those who are immuno-compromised are at risk. So even seasonal flu and pneumonia can be fatal. But H1N1 flu appears to be more virulent as it is affecting predominantly younger generation and those without any previous history of health problem," Sunita added.Seasonal influenza affects people of all ages. So far, a small number of influenza A (H1N1) cases have been reported from people above 50 years. A vast majority of cases were from people under 50 years and those with health conditions.
"Globally, seasonal flu mortality rate is 10%. Of 30 to 50 lakh people affected by seasonal flu, 2.5 million died due to seasonal flu annually. At hospitals, 65% respiratory infection caused from July to October is due to viral flu. Earlier, swab tests for flu were never done and patients were clinically diagnosed and treated," said H Paramesh of Lakeside Hospital.
K C General Hospital senior physician Shiva Prasad added: "Ninety per cent patients treated for respiratory infections are due to seasonal flu. There is no anti-biotics or anti-viral to treat seasonal flu. It's a self-limiting disease. But if the disease progresses to pneumonia, it can fatal."