MUMBAI: The state recorded seven deaths due to the H1N1 strain of the flu virus in 2022 so far, with two deaths each in Thane and Pune districts.
The state-wide tally of H1N1 so far this year is 142, including 23 in Pune and 22 in Palghar. “Recently we are observing a rising trend of swine flu (influenza A H1N1) cases in some parts of the state,'” said state surveillance officer Dr Pradip Awate, adding that the state will increase H1N1 surveillance.

Mumbai hasn’t had a single H1N1 death in the last three years, but it recorded the maximum number of cases (43) in Maharashtra in 2022, according to data released by the state health department on Friday. The H1N1 tally in Mumbai was 44 in 2020 and 64 in 2021.
In the private sector in Mumbai, doctors are reporting a rise in the number of H1N1 flu cases even though BMC statistics show no rise. BMC executive health officer Dr Mangala Gomare said 11 H1N1 cases were reported in July so far. In June, the city registered two H1N1 cases.
However, Dr Amol Manerkar has noticed a rise in non-Covid pneumonia among his patients in the Ghatkopar-Kurla stretch. “This evening, I have five patients with symptoms that are typical of H1N1. One young man admitted under my care tested positive for H1N1, but his mother, who is on ventilator support in another hospital, has not yet been tested for it,” he said.
A senior citizen admitted in his care has a 10-day history of cough and fever. “People think they have mild Covid and don’t get tested for H1N1, but we need to test for it if the Covid test is negative,” said Dr Manerkar.
A senior doctor from a BMC-run hospital said there is definitely an increase in fever cases in daily OPDs. “We were testing around 50 people daily until a month back, but now we test 90 patients with fever every day,” he said. But while everyone is tested for Covid, few are tested for H1N1.
BMC executive health officer Dr Gomare said there isn’t a significant increase in the number of H1N1 tests being conducted at the civic-run Kasturba Hospital PCR lab. The reason is there is no rapid test for H1N1 like there is for Covid. “H1N1 needs a PCR test which costs over Rs 2,000,” said a doctor from a private hospital.