After 132 deaths and 708 cases ofswine flu reported across the country during the current year,government today said it was monitoring the situation, whichis "well under control".
The worst affected state was Rajasthan, accounting for 65deaths and reporting as many as 326 cases, followed by Haryanawith 23 deaths and 78 cases of H1N1 infection during theperiod January 1 to February 6 this year.
Punjab has reported a total of 16 deaths and 90 cases ofswine flu, while Gujarat has reported 16 deaths and 58 casesin less than seven weeks of the current year.
A total of 3,315 lives have been lost due to the virus sofar since May 2009, with a total number of 53,943 casesreported from across the country till January 27.
The government also said that since the virus iscirculating within the country, there is no need to impose anytravel restriction or screening at inter-state point of entry,railway stations.
"World Health Organisation while declaring the Pandemic tobe over in August 2010, conveyed that the influenza H1N1pandemic virus would take on the behaviour of seasonalinfluenza virus and continue to circulate for some years.
Hence, in the post-pandemic period, localised outbreaks ofvarying magnitude with significant level of H1N1 transmissionare expected," a Health Ministry statement said.
The ministry said cases are being reported presently fromstates of Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Rajasthan and Punjab andsaid small pockets of population that remained unexposed tothe pandemic and were susceptible would be affected.
Delhi has reported 57 laboratory confirmed cases ofInfluenza A H1N1 since January 1, 2013 of which three havedied (as on February 7).
A total of 153 lives have been lost in the nationalcapital since May 2009 due to the Influenza A virus, with atotal of 11,294 cases reported so far.
In Delhi, 22 hospitals (17 government and 5 private) and 8laboratories (3 government and 5 private) have been activatedand this includes central government institutions like RMLHospital, Safdarjung Hospital and laboratories of NCDC andAIIMS.