The 2009 swine flu pandemic in India was the outbreak of swine flu in various parts of India. Soon after the outbreak of H1N1 virus in the United States and Mexico in March, the Government of India started screening people coming from the affected countries at airports for swine flu symptoms.[1] The first case of the flu in India was found on the Hyderabad airport on 13 May, when a man traveling from US to India was found H1N1 positive.[2] Subsequently, more confirmed cases were reported and as the rate of transmission of the flu increased in the beginning of August, with the first death due to swine flu in India in Pune,[3] panic began to spread. As of 24 May 2010, 10193 cases of swine flu have been confirmed with 1035 deaths.
The only known drug to work against H1N1 (Tamiflu) was not sold in general medical stores, to prevent the virus from developing antibiotic resistance due to excessive use. The government feared that people would pop in pills for no reason, thereby making the virus resistant to its only known cure. The problem facing the state machinery was that flu infected cases were coming from across the country.
Generic version of Tamiflu (Oseltamivir) was made available in Indian market, after several months of swine flu attack. Natco Pharma and Strides Arcolabs have launched their generic version of Oseltamivir, Natflu and Starflu. These drugs were made available to the customers directly under prescription.[4][5][6][7]
On 8 August 2010 the Indian government reported there had been 1833 deaths from swine flu in the country.[8]
On 18 October 2010 a biotechnology firm announced the launch of India's first indigenously developed cell culture H1N1 Swine Flu Vaccine under the brand name HNVAC.[9]
- ^ Dhar, Aarti (28 April 2009). "Swine flu: India on alert". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 1 May 2009. Retrieved 13 August 2009.
- ^ "First case of swine flu confirmed in India". IBNLive. 16 May 2009. Retrieved 13 August 2009.
- ^ "First swine flu death confirmed in India". PTI. 4 August 2009. Retrieved 13 August 2009.
- ^ "Anti-swine flu drug Tami flu now available across India". Door Darshan, India. Archived from the original on 25 November 2009. Retrieved 10 November 2009.
- ^ "Retail sale of Tamiflu from next week". One India. 15 September 2009. Retrieved 10 November 2009.
- ^ "India allows retail sale of swine flu drugs oselatamivir and zanamivir". Dance With Shadows. 16 September 2009. Archived from the original on 27 September 2009. Retrieved 10 November 2009.
- ^ "Swine flu drug FLUVIR available in retail market". The Med-Guru. 23 September 2009. Archived from the original on 27 September 2009. Retrieved 10 November 2009.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 17 August 2010.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "India's first swine flu vaccine launched". business.rediff.com. Archived from the original on 22 October 2010. Retrieved 18 October 2010.