CHENNAI: THE State’s health department may not have shared the data on the number of swine flu cases reported in Chennai in recent months but the statistics issued by a leading private laboratory said it confirmed 120 swine flu cases since January at its Nungambakkam branch alone.
“In January, out of 99 samples, 16 tested positive. From February 1 to March 13, out of 632 samples 104 were positive,” said Dr Anita Suryanarayanan, vice president (operations) South India and Sri Lanka, Lister Metropolis.
Lister Metropolis is one of the State-sanctioned laboratories to do the swine flu test, which is considered as conclusive proof of H1N1 virus causing swine flu.
While the laboratory officials said samples from across the State also get tested at the labs in Chennai, at least a considerable part is from Chennai. Already a few suspected swine flu deaths were reported from some parts of the State.
“In our Mumbai centre also there are many cases that tested positive for H1N1,” said Dr Anita.