BENGALURU: A day after the health officials confirmed the death of the first person in Bengaluru due to H1N1 this season, reports of two more persons succumbing to H1N1 in the city came on Tuesday.
All the three areas from which deaths have been reported — Marathahalli, Thubarahalli and Whitefield — fall in the same stretch. However, a senior health official termed it a mere coincidence.
Janaki (29) from Hosur in Tamil Nadu died of H1N1 on February 4 in Sanjaynagar, Marathahalli here. 36-year-old Vidya, a resident of Whitefield, died a day later on February 5.
Janaki had come to her mother’s house here. Her husband is a driver and had come to Marathahalli a day before her admission to Manipal hospital here on January 29. She was admitted for typhoid.
“Since she is a resident of Tamil Nadu, her death won’t be added to the official H1N1 death toll of Karnataka,” an official said.
Manoj (name changed on request) (66), was admitted to Columbia Asia Hospital in Varthur on February 16 with complaints of cough, cold and body ache. He died two days later. According to medical records, he died of suspected H1N1 caused acute respiratory distress syndrome.
His son told Express, “The hospital told us his death was caused due to H1N1. He had been to Ooty and Coimbatore a few days back. Not many people know about this flu and are acting strange. Health department officials told us that 30 cases have tested positive on the Thubarahalli to Sarjapura stretch. Our family members have tested negative and we have been told about precautions.”
Dr M N Lokesh, chief health officer, public health, on being asked if it is a cause for concern that all the three deaths have been reported from the neighbouring areas, told Express, “It is a mere coincidence. The Bengaluru Urban DHO office has sent officials to these areas and counselled people on hygienic practices.”
Dr Prakash Kumar, deputy director, health department did not receive repeated calls from Express.
As per the daily H1N1 reports posted on the Health Department’s website, as of February 14, 188 H1N1 cases had tested positive.
Though the department is supposed to upload reports every day, a click on Feb 15 and Feb 16 reports returns a message, “404 not found” on the website. However, there are reports from Feb 17 to Feb 21.