ID :
65669
Sat, 06/13/2009 - 22:55
Auther :

17 swine flu cases in India


New Delhi, Jun 13 (PTI) The number of swine flu cases
across the country climbed upto 17 Saturday with a toddler
testing positive for the disease in Hyderabad, capital of
southern state of Andhra Pradesh.

The one-and-a-half-year old boy tested posivite a day
after his six-year-old sister tested the same for Swine flu.
The siblings had reached India along with their parents from
New York on June 10.

Since they are too young to be quarantined, the
sister-brother duo are being accompanied in hospital by their
grandfather, who was put on anti-viral drugs and has tested
negative for H1N1 virus.

The family members are also being tested and their
samples have been sent to the National Institute for
Communicable Diseases (NICD) for tests.

A 24-year-old student, who came to Hyderabad from
Austin (US) via Dubai-Mumbai, was admitted to hospital for
showing swine flu like symptoms.

Hyderabad has the maximum number of nine swine flu
cases in the country, followed by Delhi at five, Coimbatore
two and Goa one.

In southern state of Tamil Nadu, a family of five,
including a six-month-old infant, was quarantined at the
airport with suspected symptoms after they arrived from the
US.

Airport officials said Muralitharan (44), his wife
Sarika (35) and their three daughters, aged five and three and
the baby, were found to be suffering from cough, cold and
fever, after they were examined by a special medical team
stationed at the airport.

The doctors quarantined them immediately and sent them
to the Communicable Diseases Hospital at Tondiarpet here for
further medical attention, officials said.

Coimbatore-based Muralitharan and his family had
arrived at Chennai by a Lufthansa flight around 2.30 am IST.

Union Health Ministry officials said the screening of
passengers from affected countries was continuing at all the
21 international airports.

The government is also planning to install thermal
scanners at all the major international airports beginning
with Delhi.

It has also asked Indian missions abroad to tell
passengers with symptoms of swine flu to defer travelling to
the country. PTI SPC
PMR
NNNN


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