Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: Amid swine flu spreading to different parts of the country, experts have witnessed a rise in new cases as well as deaths every day and have cautioned that misuse of antibiotics could worsen the condition of patients suffering from the disease.

Dr Kamlesh Upadhyay, swine flu director of Gujarat and who is also in-charge of swine flu department in Civil Hospital said that taking antibiotics instead of anti-virals is leading the condition of H1N1 patients critical, reported an English Daily.

He asked pregnant women, who are in high risk group with high mortality rates of the disease to take swine flu vaccination.

He also said that family members of pregnant women should take vaccination as a preventive measure.

Dr Upadhyay said that they found most of the patients admitted, with serious complications due to either the delay in getting treatment or doctors putting them on antibiotics which would not help in viral fever.

He further added that there is a tradition of misusing antibiotics and instead using anti-viral medicines will be of greater help.

The state of Gujarat is among the worst affected by swine flu with as many as 81 people having lost their lives due to the disease since January this year.

The national capital on Sunday recorded the sixth death due to swine flu after a 55-year-old man succumbed to H1N1 virus at a private hospital in New Delhi.