Nashik Faces Dual Health Crisis: Over 100 Swine Flu Cases Amid Ongoing Dengue Outbreak

As the city grapples with the ongoing dengue outbreak, swine flu has become a new health crisis, infecting more than 100 people in the past two months. The rainy season has exacerbated the spread of epidemics, and in just 29 days of September, 24 new swine flu cases have been reported.

While dengue has claimed one life, swine flu has proven deadlier, causing 14 fatalities in the past nine months. This includes four deaths within the city limits and ten among rural patients who sought treatment in the city.

Since January, 227 cases of swine flu have been recorded in Nashik. The outbreak worsened in July with 50 new cases, followed by 83 in August, and 24 more in September. The spread has been linked to environmental changes caused by ongoing rains.

Symptoms and Prevention:

Swine flu shares symptoms with dengue, making it harder to distinguish. Common symptoms include cold, fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. The medical department has urged people to immediately consult a doctor if these symptoms appear.

To prevent swine flu, authorities advise frequent hand washing with soap and water and wearing masks to reduce the risk of transmission.

Health officials are also concerned about the potential mutation of the swine flu virus. Swab samples from patients have been sent to the National Institute of Virology in Pune for further analysis.

With epidemics continuing to rise, Nashik is battling increasing cases of both swine flu and dengue.