Climate has no impact on swine flu virus: WHO

New Delhi, Aug 23 (PTI) The World Health Organisation has
said the swine flu virus is not affected by any variation in
the temperature.

Citing cumulative report of swine flu cases and deaths
from different nations around the globe, WHO said the H1N1
virus has infected people from several countries with varying
temperatures.

As per a WHO report, more than 18 lakh laboratories have
confirmed cases of the pandemic influenza and nearly 1,800
deaths registered from across 177 countries and territories
around the globe.

Dr S J Habayeb, WHO representative in India, said, "H1N1
virus has no relation to weather. Swine flu cases have been
heard from countries with cold and hot temperatures."

Citing example, he said, "Swine flu cases have been
equally reported from Texas, New York and California, though
the temperature varies in all the three places. Texas is
warmer than New York."

According to WHO, over 1.8 lakh confirmed swine flu cases
have been reported across the world. Over one lakh people have
tested positive for the virus in North and South America,
where more than 1,500 deaths have been reported.

This has been followed by European countries with over
32,000 people testing positive for the virus and more than 50
deaths reported from all over the continent.

The third most affected area is the western pacific
region with over 27,000 cases already testing positive for
H1N1 and 50 deaths reported from there.

It is followed by the South-East Asian region. Nearly
13,000 positive cases and 106 deaths have already been
reported from different countries in this region.

Finally, the Mediterranean region has over 2,000 cases
and eight deaths have been reported from there so far.

Dr Jai P Narain, Director, Communicable Diseases, WHO,
said, "If cases are being reported in hot and humid climate
like India, the same is also being heard about in cold country
like Australia."

"All depends on the immune capacity of the people. All
five continents have been affected equally," he said. PTI SWT
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