Lessons in Epidemic Response: The Case of

Pandemic Flu (H1N1) in Pune, IndiaKrishna Bhogaonker

The Focus

Challenge: Developing and moderately

developed nations face difficulties in managing

infectious disease outbreaks in urban settings.

Question: What lessons can nations learn about

disease containment and epidemiology from

the global H1N1 flu pandemic in 2009?

Study: Consider the experience of Pune, India

as an interesting case study in epidemic

management. Why the pattern of epidemic and

relapse?

In 2009, Pandemic Swine Flu swept the world in a

matter of months.

India was especially hard hit, particularly in

Maharashtra State

Pune Case Study

Second largest city in the Indian State of

Maharashtra.

Mostly Hindu population with small Muslim and

Christian minorities.

Very modern city, only about 3 hours from

Mumbai.

Flu Experience: Epidemic and relapse over the

course of about 6 months.

In Pune, the Epidemic Relapsed after a Few

Months

The distribution of Flu cases in Pune was

concentrated in the city center.

PMC response was appropriate and initially

successful. So why the relapse?

It turns out, the PMC had not anticipated the

epidemic coinciding with yearly religious festivals.

As it turns out, there is a precedent for this

problem in Pune history.

Conclusion

Skills Used

Inset map

Point graduated symbols

Aggregating attribute field

Buffering

Geocoding

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