A Health Ministry report on swine flu released in November shows that the number of H1N1 virus infections increased over 20 times in 2017 from that last year. As many as 2,147 patients died of swine flu in 2017 from among 38,004 reported cases, much higher than the 265 deaths and 1,786 H1N1 cases registered in 2016.
The data shows that over one lakh people were affected and 8,562 succumbed to the H1N1 virus in India between 2010 and October 2017. Maharashtra was the worst-hit state, with 23,885 cases and 2,661 deaths, followed by Gujarat and Rajasthan.
This year, Gujarat has the highest number of cases, with 7,688, followed by Maharashtra with 6,071. However, more patients died in Maharashtra (729) than in Gujarat (431).
Sikkim and the Union Territory of Lakshadweep are the only two regions in India with no cases of swine flu over the past seven years, according to the Health Ministry report. Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland did not register any cases of the virus this year.
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