After a lull, cases of swine flu in Hyderabad appear to be increasing with health officials confirmed Wednesday that three people had died from complications from swine flu in Hyderabad. Of the three, one male (35) and a woman (25), died in the state Gandhi Hospital and one male patient died in an ambulance while being taken to a hospital in Hyderabad from Siddipet.

Currently, four patients, two in Gandhi hospital and two in corporate hospitals in Hyderabad, have been hospitalized with symptoms of swine flu and being treated. Health officials have maintained that the last 10 days there has been an outbreak of swine flu cases here. All patients being admitted with symptoms of swine flu are in Hyderabad, indicating that the virus is endemic and has not been imported.
Virulent virus?

"We have to see if the swine flu has become virulent or is there some kind of drug resistance. You also need to know if low immunity among patients is one reason deaths," Narasimhulu, by wards swine flu, Gandhi hospital said.

Low temperatures and sporadic rains around the capital may also have played a role in the surge in swine flu cases, doctors said. "There is definitely no need to panic, but at the same time, the public need to be cautious, especially while moving in public areas. Personal hygiene is still the best way to prevent infection," advises district surgeon Venkateswar P. Rao .

Between January and October, district health authorities had reported 17 positive cases of swine flu and two deaths in Hyderabad, which occurred in July this year after cases of swine flu progressively reduced before they began to rise again. In recent days, Gandhi hospital had received eight cases, of which there were two deaths.