Government gears up to handle swine flu

With one swine flu death reported in the city on Monday, the state government has put medical administration on high alert. With monsoon at its peak, officials are concerned that there could be more cases.

A 33-year-old man from Bihar, who arrived from Saudi Arabia, died of swine flu here on Monday. He had tested positive for H1N1 virus. This is the only swine flu case reported in the last three months.

Since January this year, about 38 cases of swine flu have been reported in the state. The figures could be more as several patients suspected to be H1N1 positive are undergoing treatment at various government and private hospitals.

About 525 samples have been collected from the suspected swine flu patients in the city and sent for testing, said director of public health and family welfare Dr S Aruna Kumari. “Though swine flu cases are being reported in the state, the situation was not alarming. We are taking all possible measures to tackle swine flu in the state. The state is well equipped to deal with swine flu and has the required staffs and medicines,” she said.

As the person who died of swine flu came from Suadi Arabia, we will be keeping vigil at airports and would set up screening centres there, she said. Most of the swine flu case are reported from urban areas, especially from in and around Hyderabad, she said.

The district medical and health officer was in touch with all the hospitals in the city to control the flu, she said and added that as H1N1 virus is not so active in the country there is less chance of it turning into a serious problem. If cough, body pains and high fever do not subside after 48 hours, then patients have to seek medical advice from a general practitioner, she said and added that old people and children, who are more vulnerable to swine flu, should take extra precaution.

Meanwhile, suspected cases of swine flu are being directed to Osmania general hospital, Gandhi hospital and private hospitals. Officials fear that with the onset of monsoon, there could be an increase in the cases of swine flu in the city.

During 2010, Hyderabad alone had reported 260 swine flu cases and in 2012 too more than 100 cases of swine flu were reported.

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