The Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases has approached the Union government for funds to conduct basic level research on H1N1 virus. The study will help the team of medical experts to understand the variations of the swine flu virus and its behaviour in different individuals.

For a better understanding of the new virus, we will start a basic level of research for which we require some funds from the Central government, Dr Shashidhar Buggi, director, Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases told Pharmabiz. He has put forth the requirements to the Central government for starting the research.

The funding amount will be decided by the government. All that we need to do immediately is to analyse the behaviour of the virus and try to understand why it behaves differently in different individuals. We will minutely analyse the virus which has manifested in various patients who are being treated here, Dr Buggi said.

From the initial onset of the H1N1 virus, the government authorities in association with the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases have looked into every case of recovery and fatality. Clinical post mortem from the first fatality onwards has been carried out but now there is need to conduct research with the help of experts in this field, he added.

Though the liberalised guidelines for the administration of the Tamiflu has helped in controlling the fatalities of H1N1 influenza to an extent of around 10 percent of the positive cases, yet those patients belonging to Category C have succumbed to the virus in the state.

The research will help the panel of medical scientists and doctors to assess the virus behaviour. Once the research begins, it would help the doctors to better identify the cases in the initial phase.

As of now the similarity of symptoms with the normal flu is still giving trouble to general practitioners to identify H1N1 positive cases. This is the main reason for the delay in the seeking immediate medical attention and go for a test to ascertain the vulnerability of the virus.

A research is the need of the hour primarily because H1N1 is a new strain and better understanding of the virus will help in clear identification and administration of treatment in the various H1N1 phases.