To study the Disease Profile of Swine Flu (H1N1) in patients at AIIMS, Rishikesh with focus on the demographical, clinical, laboratory, treatment, and outcome variables– a cross-sectional study

Justification for study:

Influenza virus is a common human pathogen that has caused serious respiratory illness and death over the past century. Swine flu is an infection caused by any one of several types of swine influenza viruses, amongst which H1N1 influenza virus is the most common virus causing swine flu in humans. Following its emergence in March 2009 in Mexico, the H1N1 virus spread rapidly throughout the world. The WHO declared H1N1 as a pandemic and the disease started in India in same year.

This infection spreads so easily and has a high mortality and morbidity rate, therefore it has become an important public health problem and has potential to lead to frequent pandemics. Therefore, it is important to study the demographical factors contributing the disease occurrence, clinical presentations including their variability, laboratory details, treatment particulars, and outcomes of the swine flu (H1N1) in this region. This will improve the knowledge on this expanding clinical syndrome in our region.

Scope of the project:

This is intended to develop a North-Indian current data on the various aspects of course of illness of swine flu (H1N1) in this region of India. There seems to have a good scope to optimize and improve the existing practice in the current empirical antibiotic era for any febrile illness.