Karnataka has recorded as many as 85 deaths due to Influenza-A or H1N1 this year. Compared to dengue, which has reportedly claimed 11 lives in the state, H1N1 seems to be the bigger killer this year.
Bengaluru Urban district alone has reported 23 deaths, and 10 of them are from BBMP limits.
According to Times of India, the flu incidence has been the highest this time, with the state reporting 3,436 cases till date.
Based on data available with TOI, about 10,900 patients across the state showed H1N1 symptoms in the last nine months. 30% of them were tested positive. About 1503 cases were found to be within BBMP limits- Bengaluru Urban reported 582 confirmed cases and Bengaluru Rural 27 cases.
Health authorities told TOI that H1N1 virus had been blunted as the community had developed herd immunity to it. But the spike in the cases in 2015 has caught them unawares.
Dr BG Prakash, state surveillance officer, health and family welfare department said that Bengaluru reported more cases due to constant population movement.
"There was an outbreak during April-May across the country. Hence, the cases are more this year in the state too," said Dr BG Prakash.
Dr Shashidhar Buggi, director, Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases, told TOI that they get at least 10 H1N1 cases a month. The hospital is a nodal centre for treating H1N1 cases.
However, Buggi said there was no need to panic as the virus is in the community is like any other flu.
"In most cases, even the symptoms are not seen. It looks like the virus has undergone a mutation or variation. We test each pneumonia case for H1N1 too. Only in cases of co-morbid condition like pneumonia and asthma, the patient's condition worsens," Dr Buggi said.