Against the backdrop of swine flu scare, the Union health ministry
has asked Maharashtra government to initiate an epidemiological mapping in the
state.
A central health team recently visited Nagpur city, which has seen
the maximum number of deaths due to the virus in the state this year. The team
recommended that state health authorities should immediately start
epidemiological mapping - a system by which they should track every infected
patient and follow up their cases.
Dr Abhay Chowdhary, director, Haffkine Institute, said:
"Epidemiological mapping helps you understand the pattern of the disease
and review the intervention measures taken when there is an outbreak, pandemic
or epidemic. It also helps us understand how it started, when and why it spread
and what led to the control."
The four member central team included Dr Ashok Kumar, additional
director general, public health, Government of India, a microbiologist and two
experts from the medicine department.
State Health Minister Dr Deepak Sawant said, "We had a
detailed discussion with the central team. They reviewed the situation and
emphasised on the need to have epidemiological mapping. We found this
suggestion very important. Our health officials are on it." All the swine
flu patients would be tracked along with the people who were in immediate
contact with these patients, the minister added.
Source: Medindia
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