Friday, December 18, 2009

India: Swine (H1N1) flu Death Count 759

There seems to be no respite from the swine (H1N1) flu pandemic as it continues to take a toll with eleven deaths reported 18th December Thursday, swelling the national count to 759, according to an official statement released today friday.

While 2 deaths each were reported from Gujarat and Delhi during the day, reports of seven deaths that had occurred earlier were also confirmed the same day. Of these seven deaths, three had occurred in Delhi and 2 each in Rajasthan and Gujarat.

Record of fatalities nationwide

Among all the states, Maharashtra continues to be the worst hit state wide, accounting for 247 deaths so far. Next to it is Karnataka, which has lost over 123 lives.

The total swine flu fatalities are 104 in Rajasthan, 64 in Gujarat, 52 each in Delhi and Andhra Pradesh, 30 in Kerala, 24 in Haryana, 14 in Punjab, 10 in Uttarakhand, 7 in Tamil Nadu, 6 in Puducherry, 5 each in Goa, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh, 3 each in Uttar Pradesh and Orissa, and 2 in Chhattisgarh. One death each was also reported from Jammu, Madhya Pradesh & Kashmir and Mizoram.

Scientists find clues why H1N1 virus kills

To contain the deadly swine flu virus, scientists are carrying out studies to find out the exact reason why people infected with the lethal contagion develop an uncontrolled immune response resulting which they die.

Recently, they claim to have discovered high levels of a molecule called Interleukin 17 (IL-17) in the blood of those infected with H1N1.

They hypothesized that elevated levels of this molecule may be proving fatal for those who tested positive for swine flu.

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