PUNE: Fresh cases of swine flu infection among students is piling up with each passing day. The virus has infected a total of 417 students, of which four students have succumbed to the contagion till date.

"The students who succumbed to the H1N1 infection were in the age group of 6-15 years," said a state government official.

Commenting on it, microbiologist Siddhartha Dalvi said, "As compared to young adults, immune system is relatively underdeveloped among children below 10 years."

PUNE: The city's dubious distinction of being the swine flu casualties capital due to the high number of deaths is not entirely true, say experts.

Going by the official figures, almost 50 per cent of the people who succumbed to the H1N1 infection in various city hospitals were from outside Pune, while the rest were residents of Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad.

"It is wrong to term the city as the swine flu casualties capital when most of the people who died were from the rural areas of the district or from other parts of the state," municipal commissioner Mahesh Zagade said.

PUNE: If one is suffering from cold, cough, fever, diarrhoea or sore throat basically any upper respiratory illness or even an attack of asthma he/she should not take the H1N1 vaccine, said Sharad Agarkhedkar, president of the city chapter of Indian Medical Association (IMA), here on Thursday.

The IMA warning comes following the death of an H1N1 patient on August 24, 10 days after he was administered an intra-nasal vaccine in a private hospital.

PUNE: The statue of Dadoji Konddeo will be removed from the historic Lal Mahal, which was the residence of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, within 24 hours.

The assurance was given by Pune mayor Mohansingh Rajpal on Wednesday to protesting Lokshasan Andolan members, who were led by former justices P B Sawant and B G Kolse Patil.

Pune, Aug 20 (PTI) Concerned over a steady rise in the swine flu casualties since the last fortnight with an overall death toll in the city now standing at 355, health authorities have increased number of cots reserved for H1N1 patients in various government and private hospitals here. The designated hospitals treating swine flu cases will now have a total of 497 cots and 72 ventilators reserved for the patients to cope with a spurt in the admissions, a health department spokesman said. Earlier, 295 cots had been kept reserved for H1N1 patients.

PUNE: Elected members of the Pune Cantonment Board (PCB) are expected to soon moot a proposal for free influenza A H1N1 vaccination drive in schools run by the board.

Members feel that much needs to be done to cope with the consequence and fight the spread of the H1N1 virus in the PCB areas. "Barely any efforts are being taken to control the spread of the swine flu virus in the cantonment area. The board needs to take a strong stand in this regard," said PCB elected member Prasad Kedari.

PUNE: A round-the-clock helpline launched by Mumbai-based Vandrevala Foundation will help tend to people with mental sicknesses in Pune. The mental health helpline, 022-25706000, was launched in the city on August 17.

Armed with a team of trained psychologists and psychiatrists, it will cater to all kinds of mental sicknesses, said Arun John, executive vice-president of Vandrevala Foundation, at a press conference on Tuesday.

MUMBAI: This is a classic example of how much the state government cares for schoolchildren. Ignoring the norms suggested by the Union ministry of health and family welfare, the school education department has proposed to procure 150 mg capsules to be given to the students covered under the mid-day meal scheme.

MUMBAI: Three types of influenza viruses are circulating in Mumbai's air, with the most "potent and predominant" H1N1 affecting people even more than the seasonal flu, experts told TOI, providing a possible explanation for the deluge of fever and cold complaints at city hospitals.

The observation about the three strains was made by virologists working with Haffkine Research Institute, who, between June and August this year, studied 500 patients admitted for influenza-related ailments in various hospitals.

PUNE: The increased construction activity and presence of stone quarries in Pune district has pushed up malarial cases for a four-month period from last year's.