What is Swine flu?
Swine flu (swine influenza) is a disease of pigs. It is a highly contagious respiratory disease caused by one of many Influenza A viruses. Approximately 1% to 4% of pigs that get swine
flu die from it. It is spread among pigs by direct and indirect contact, aerosols, and from pigs that are infected but do not have symptoms. In many parts of the world pigs are vaccinated against swine flu.
Most commonly, swine flu is of the H1N1
influenza subtype.
The current outbreak of swine flu that has infected humans is of the H1N1 type - this type is not as dangerous as some others.
What is the risk for human health?
Outbreaks of human infection from a virus which came from pigs (swine flu) do happen and are sometimes reported. Symptoms will generally be similar to seasonal human flu - this can range from mild or no symptoms at all, to severe and possibly fatal
pneumonia.
As swine flu symptoms are similar to typical human seasonal flu symptoms, and other upper respiratory tract infections, detection of swine flu in humans often does not happen, and when it does it is usually purely by chance through seasonal flu surveillance. If symptoms are mild it is extremely unlikely that any connection to swine flu is found - even if it is there. In other words, unless the doctors and experts are specifically looking for swine flu, it is rarely detected. Because of this, we really do not know what the true human infection rate is.
How does a human catch swine influenza?
- From contact with infected pigs (most common way)
- From contact with infected humans (much less common way)
In cases when humans have infected other humans close contact was necessary with the infected person, and they nearly always occurred in closed groups of people.
Is there a pandemic risk?
People who are not in close contact with pigs generally have no immunity to the swine flu viruses - they are less likely to be able to prevent a virus infection. If the virus infects enough people in a given area, the risk of an influenza pandemic is significantly greater. Experts say it is very hard to predict what impact a flu pandemic caused by a swine flu virus would have on the global human population. This would depend on how virulent the virus is, what existing immunity among humans there already is, plus several other factors.
Do we have a specific swine flu vaccine?
No - not for humans.
What are the signs and symptoms of swine flu in humans?
They are similar to those of regular flu, and include:
- Body aches
- Chills
- Cough
- Diarrhea (less common)
- Headache
- Sore throat
- Temperature (fever)
- Tiredness (fatigue)
- Vomiting (less common)
What can I do to protect myself?
- Wash your hands regularly with soap
- Try to stay healthy
- Get plenty of sleep
- Do plenty of exercise
- Try to manage your stress
- Drink plenty of liquids
- Eat a well balanced diet
- Refrain from touching surfaces which may have the virus
- Do not get close to people who are sick
- Stay away from crowded areas if there is a swine flu outbreak in your area
If I am infected, how can I stop others from becoming infected?
- Limit your contact with other people
- Do not go to work or school
- When you cough or sneeze cover your mouth with a tissue. If you do not have a tissue, cover your mouth and nose.
- Put your used tissues in a waste basket
- Wash your hands and face regularly
- Keep all surfaces you have touched clean
- Follow your doctor's instructions
Swine flu testing centres in India
Delhi
Isolation/Critical Care Facility for Delhi
Yellow Fever Quarantine Centre
Near AAI Residential Colony
New Delhi
Contact: APHO- 25652129
Dr. S.K Singh: 09868252314
Influenza Ward,
Ward no 5, Second Floor,
New Building, RML Hospital,
Delhi-1
RML- 24525211,23404328,23365525- Ext 4328
Control Room
DHS Office
Tel: (011) 22307145
Contact Time: 24x7
Nodal Officer:
Dr. R. P. Vashist
Ph: 09212222456, 22305657 (O), 23646049(O)
Fax: 23646173
Kolkata
Isolation/Critical Care Facility for Kolkata, West Bengal
Beliaghata Infectious Diseases Hospital,
57, Beliaghata, Main Road,
Kolkata
This is an Isolation and Critical Care Centre
Contact:
Dr. Vishwanath, Ph: 09433392182
Dr. Vishwas, Ph: 09434009077
Control Room
Chamber of Joint Director (Health Services),
Swasthaya Bhawan,
Sector-5, GN Block,
Kolkata - 91
Ph: (033) 23571192
Contact Time: 10 AM to 7 PM on working days and 11 AM to 4:30 PM on Saturday and Holidays
Nodal Officer:
Dr. Bhaskar Bhattacharya, Jt.DHS
Ph: 033-23330180
Mobile: 09831187818
Varanasi
Isolation/Critical Care Facility for Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
Shree Shiv Prasad Gupta District Hospital,
Kabir Chaura, Varanasi
Uttar Pradesh
This is an isolation and critical care centre
Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhya Govt Hospital,
Pandeypur,
Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh - 221002
This is an Isolation and Critical care Centre
Contact:
Dr. Kanta Prasad, Ph: 9451006046
Dr. R. S. Verma, Ph: 09415301513
Control Room
Swasthaya Bhawan,
Luknow
Ph: (0522) 2616482
Fax: (0522) 2622819
Contact Time: 24x7
Nodal Officer:
Dr Pyaremohan Srivastava
Ph: (0522) 2629106
Mobile: 09415181629
Lucknow
Isolation/Critical Care Facility for Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
Balrampur District Hospital,
Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh - 226001
This is an Isolation and Critical care Centre
Contact: Dr. P. N. Srivastva - 9415181629
Control Room
Swasthaya Bhawan,
Luknow
Ph: (0522) 2616482
Fax: (0522) 2622819
Contact Time: 24x7
Nodal Officer:
Dr Pyaremohan Srivastava
Ph: (0522) 2629106
Mobile: 09415181629
Coimbatore
Isolation/Critical Care Facility for Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu
Coimbatore Medical College Hospital,
Trichy Road,
Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu
This is an Isolation and Critical care
Contact: Dr. Kumaran, Ph: 09442012555
Control Room
Office of the Director (Public Health &Preventive Medicine),
Central Malaria Laboratory,
359, Annasalai,
Chennai - 6
Ph: 044-24321569
Contact Time: 24x7
Nodal Officer:
DR. Elango, DHS, Ph: 09940610123
Tiruchirapalli
Isolation/Critical Care Facility for Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu
Annal Gandhi Memorial Hospital,
Puthur, Trichy - 17,
Tamil Nadu
This is an Isolation and Critical Care Centre
Contact: Dr. Veerapande, Ph: 09443913446
Dist. Headquarter Hospital,
Mannapari
This is an Isolation Facility
Contact: Dr. Veerapande - 09443913446
Control Room
Office of the Director (Public Health &Preventive Medicine),
Central Malaria Laboratory,
359, Annasalai,
Chennai - 6
Ph: 044-24321569
Contact Time: 24x7
Nodal Officer:
DR. Elango, DHS, Ph: 09940610123
Chennai
Isolation/Critical Care Facility for Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Communicable Disease Hospital,
87, T.H. Road,
Tondiarpet,
Chennai, Tamil Nadu
This is also an Isolation Facility
Contact: Dr. Lakshmi, Ph: 044-25912688, Mobile: 09841250567
Control Room
Office of the Director (Public Health &Preventive Medicine),
Central Malaria Laboratory,
359, Annasalai,
Chennai - 6
Ph: 044-24321569
Contact Time: 24x7
Nodal Officer:
DR. Elango, DHS, Ph: 09940610123
Jaipur
Isolation/Critical Care Facility for Jaipur (Rajasthan)
Infectious District Hospital,
Near Charak Bhawan,
SMS Medical College,
Jaipur, Rajasthan
Dr. P. D.Vyas, Ph: (0141) 2564434, 518392, 2605148
Dr. Sen, Ph: 9887806450,
Dr. Girdhari, Ph: 9414772483
Dr. Somundra, Ph: 9829620508
Control Room
Office of the Director (Public Health),
Swasthaya Bhawan,
Jaipur.
Ph: 0141-2225624
Fax: 0141-2224831
Nodal Officer:
Mr. R K Meena, IAS, Principal Sect. (Health)
Dr. O P Gupta (Addl. Nodal Officer), Ph: (0141) 2229858, 09829333936
Nagpur
Isolation/Critical Care Facility for Nagpur, Maharashtra
Govt Medical College and Hospital,
Nagpur,
Maharastara - 444003
(Isolation and critical care)
Swine Flu Ward: 0712-2750730
GMC MS Ph: 0712- 2750427, 2749311
Contact: Dr. Khade- 09422139720
Control Room
Please contact Mumbai or Pune Control Room
Nodal Officer:
Please contact Mumbai or Pune Nodal Centre
Pune
Isolation/Critical Care Facility for Pune
Dr. Naidu Infectious Disease Hospital,
Pune, Maharastra (Isolation and critical care)
Dr. Barathe, Ph: 09923130909
Control Room
Office of the Joint Director (Health Services),
Central Building,
Pune
Ph: 020-26124299
Contact Time: 24x7
Nodal Officer:
Dr. Desai, Ph: 09822429266
Dr. Suresh Bohatre, Ph: 09881364656
Mumbai
Isolation/Critical Care Facility for Mumbai, Maharashtra
Kasturba Hospital,
Sane Guruji Marg,
Mumbai - 11,
Maharastara (Isolation and critical care)
Ph: 022-23083901, 02,03,04
Contact Person: Dr. Umesh Aigal, Ph: 09820935680
Control Room
Room no.137,
First Floor, Swasthaya Bhawan,
Mumbai.
022-22029070
022-22025830
Contact Time: 24x7
Nodal Officer:
Dr. Gawande Ph: 09420711426
Dr. Awate, Ph: 09423337556
Mangalore
Isolation/Critical Care Facility for Mangalore, Karnataka
District Wenlock Hospital,
Mangalore,
Karnataka - Isolation and critical care
Dr. Prabhudev, Ph: 09480015944
Dr. Jagannath, Ph: 09448166113
Fax: 08242445664
Control Room
Information not available
Nodal Officer:
Information not available
Bangalore
Isolation/Critical Care Facility for Bangalore, Karnataka
Dr. Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases and SDS TB Hospital
Hosur Road,
Near NIMHANS,
Bangalore 560029,
Karnataka (Isolation and critical care)
Dr. S. Buggi, Ph: 09448042579
Dr. Nagraj, Ph: 09448057093
Control Room
Office of the Director (Health and Family Welfare),
Anand Rao Circle,
Bangalore - 560009
Phone no: 080 1056
Contact Time: 24x7
Nodal Officer:
Dr. Chelluraj, Ph: 09901060584
Dr. Vasudev Murthi, Ph: 09880024329
Ranchi, Jharkhand
Isolation/Critical Care Facility for Ranchi, Jharkhand
Information Not Available
Control Room
RIMS, RANCHI
Chamber of Dr. A. K. Mathur (HOD Medicine)
Ph: 09431176496 (RIMS acting as Control Room)
Nodal Officer:
Dr. C.B Sharma, Ph: 094311740820
Dr. Pradeep Baski, Ph: 09431102461
Thiruvanathanapuram
Isolation/Critical Care Facilities for Thiruvanathanapuram (Kerala)
General Hospital,
Thiruvanathanapuram,
Kerala-695025
Dr. Suresh, Ph: 09447030291, Isolation and Critical care
District Hospital,
Manjeri;
District: Malappuram, Kerala
Dr. Ramani, Ph: 09447157128,
Krishna, Ph: 9388014526 - Isolation
Taluk Head Quarter Hospital,
Perumbavoor,
Ernakulum District,
Kerala-683542 {Isolation}
Dr. Rosy Sebastian, Ph: 09846948926
Dr. Sudha Karan, Ph: 9446505990
Control Room
Office of Addl.DHS (Public Health),
Near Govt. General Hospital Trivandrum
Ph: (0471) 2466828
Contact Time: 24x7
Nodal Officer:
Dr. Amar, Ph: 09447451846
Dr. Shaukat Ali (Joint Director, NICD) Ph; 09447702444
Dr. K K Mohammad, Ph: 09447327569
Ahmedabad
Isolation/Critical Care Facility for Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh
Civil Hospital attached to Medical College,
Asarwa,
Ahmedabad,
Gujarat-380016
Contact Person: Dr. Ancheliah, Ph: 09426347531
Control Room
Office of Dy.Director (Epid)
Commisionerate of Health Services
Block No:5,
Dr.Jivaraj Mehta Bhawan,
Old Sachivalaya,
Ahmedabad, Gujarat
Tel: 079-23253334
Fax: 079-23250818
Contact Time: 24x7
Nodal Officer:
Dr.S.J.Gandhi, Ph: 09825342899
Hyderabad
Isolation/Critical Care Facility for Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh
Govt. General and Chest Diseases Hospital,
Erragadda,
Hyderabad,
Andhra Pradesh
040-23814939
Contact Person: Dr. Prasad, Ph: 9849902995
Control Room
Office of The Addl. Director (Health Services),
Hyderabad.
040-24656852.
Contact Time: 24x7
Nodal Officer:
Dr Ramswarup, Ph: 09989923781
