BENGALURU: The H1N1 toll in the state has climbed to eight with two deaths reported in Bengaluru Urban District and Ballari. Health Secretary Jawaid Akhtar instructed all districts authorities to have village-level monitoring committees on Tuesday. Till Tuesday evening, 542 H1N1 cases have been reported in the state with 86 in Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) limits and 54 in Bengaluru Urban.
In a circular issued to all district health officers on Tuesday, Akhtar stated, "Organise ward-wise Information and Education (IEC) meetings in urban areas and village level health and sanitation committee meetings in rural areas."
"By now, all district health officers should have organised monitory committee meetings headed by the deputy commissioners at the district level and by the tahsildars at taluk level. It is to be emphasised that the information campaigns must be organised at the sub-centre level with the help of village health and sanitation committee as well as at the ward level with the help of urban local bodies," the circular said.
The state Health Department on Tuesday circulated guidelines on the use of masks for health care workers, patients and members of public. Masks, if used correctly, will protect the user from contracting seasonal influenza or for that matter any other droplet or air-borne infection.
Masks should be used mandatorily for all health personnel working in an infective environment. There are two types of masks which are recommended for various categories of personnel depending upon the work environment — triple layer surgical mask and N 95 Respirator. The transmission of the virus is air-borne through large droplets generated by the act coughing and sneezing.
These droplets when inhaled are highly contagious to susceptible persons. There are other modes of transmission, including indirect contact by touching a contaminated object or surface, close contact (including handshaking). Influenza viruses include Influenza A HIN1, H3N2, H2N2, Influenza B. The Influenza A (HINI) virus that caused a Pandemic in 2009-2010 continues to circulate causing outbreaks of seasonal influenza in various parts of the state.