VISAKHAPATNAM: The first swine flu death was reported in the port city after a year, when a 23-year-old pregnant woman who was diagnosed with the H1N1 virus died while undergoing treatment late Sunday night.
Though the woman died at at Government Hospital For Chest and Communicable Diseases at Pedawaltair around 8.30 p.m., the incident came to light on Monday morning.
The eight-months pregnant woman, a resident of Gajuwaka area in the city, was battling the disease for the past few days and was at first admitted to a private hospital.
The doctors sent her samples to Mumbai and informed the district medical authorities upon confirmation of H1N1 infection.
Superintendent of the government hospital P Subba Rao said they handed over the body to the relatives after wrapping it in a plastic cover to arrest the spread of the disease.
District Swine Flu coordinator LBSH Devi said that of the two confirmed cases in the city, the other, a 30-yearold man, was discharged last week after treatment. Three other suspected cases turned out to be false alarm.
The H1N1 virus had turned active in the last week of March when the weather changed and is continuing to spread this month.
The first swine flu case was reported in Visakhapatnam in 2009 and a total of 29 swine flu cases were registered in the district and five persons died.
In 2010, a total of 16 swine flu cases were registered and four persons died. There were no cases in 2011 except a death of East Godavari person in the city hospital.