NEW DELHI: Even as the number of swine flu cases in the country continue to increase exponentially, the Indian Government's Ministry of Health has denied that the latest wave of cases is because the virus has mutated and hence resistant to drugs. It reiterated that the situation was in control, even as more cities in central and Southern India report cases of the dreaded virus. “The situation with respect to instances of H1N1 is well under control and is being monitored. As reported in some section of the press, the virus has not mutated to a more virulent form or changed its character,” Pune`s National Institute of Virology said in a statement in a bid to dispel the fear. Central Indian cities especially Pune located barely 150 kms from India's commercial hub of Mumbai have been badly affected reporting more than a dozen deaths to date. The resurgence of the disease has left people in the lurch and has had medical professionals hinting that a possible mutation may be responsible for the recent surge. Reports that a mutated swine flu virus being spread, which could not be controlled with the vaccine and medicines caused panic among the city's populace. . The statement confirmed that strains of the virus presently circulating are fully curable. “The currently available vaccine can be used (for the virus circulating at present)… differences are not significant. There is no mutation to suggest change of virus to `dangerous form`,” he said, adding that swine flu is treatable with Oseltamivir (an antiviral drug which slows the spread of influenza virus),” the statement said. The country has witnessed more than 30 deaths over the last month in different metropolitan cities especially Pune, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Coimbatore all of which are located in Central-South India or the Deccan plateau.
