NRI admitted to Hyd hospital, two in Kochi being check for flu

Hyderabad/Kochi, May 4 (PTI) Three persons, including an
NRI from Canada, were being checked Monday for suspected H1N1
flu after they complained of fever and other symptoms even as
people were screened at airports across India for the deadly
virus that has hit the US, Europe and Latin America.

A 37-year-old Non-Resident Indian (NRI), who came to
Hyderabad last week from Ontario in Canada, volunteered to get
himself examined Sunday evening following which he was
admitted to the Government Chest Hospital, K Subhakar,
Professor, Respiratory Medicine, said.

The NRI has undergone tests and his samples have been
sent for examination, he said.

So far, two persons -- including a 29-year-old from
Frankfurt in Germany, who arrived in Hyderabad Sunday morning
with cough and fever, have been admitted in the hospital,
Subhakar said. Both of them have been kept in isolation, he
said, adding their reports are awaited.

Samples of other passengers sent during the last five
days to National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD)
proved negative and there was no single Swine Flu case
reported here, the doctor said.

In Kochi, an 11-year-old boy and a 27 year-old woman, who
arrived from the UK and Australia respectively, were being
examined by doctors for suspected H1N1 virus, airport sources
said.

Both the passengers had stated that they had fever 10
days back, the sources said, adding that they have been taken
to the temporary quarantine room at the Kochi airport
premises.

Meanwhile, doctors at the Hyderabad International Airport
told PTI that no case of suspected Swine Flu was found during
the screening of passengers from abroad here last night and
early this morning.

Director of National Institute of Communicable Diseases,
Shivlal, said in New Delhi that the samples taken from a man
from Hyderabad, who came to the south Indian city from Mexico
via Los Angeles, has tested negative.

All clinical samples tested so far have been negative for
Influenza A, he added.

According to Health Ministry officials, screening of
passengers from affected countries is continuing in 21
international airports.

"A total of 41,012 passengers have been screened so far.
140 doctors and 101 paramedics have been deployed to man 59
counters at the above airports," the officials said yesterday.

Minister of State for Health and Family Affairs Pannabaka
Lakshmi had reviewed the situation at a meeting of senior
officials in Delhi Sunday.

A total of 18 countries around the world have reported
cases of human swine flu, with hardest-hit Mexico confirming
22 deaths in all. PTI Team
DEP