Four more swine flu deaths in Himachal

Shimla: Swine flu claimed four more lives in Himachal Pradesh, raising the death toll to nine, a senior health official said on Thursday.

Four more persons tested positive for the H1N1 virus at IGMC Hospital here on Thursday bringing the number of swine flu infected cases to 36, including nine deaths.

A 64-year old woman Bhawani Sharma, hailing from Saproon in Solan died at IGMC hospital last night while a Namdhari, who was rushed to the hospital from Mandi on Thursday succumbed to the disease.

He was admitted in the hospital reportedly with symptoms of swine flu but the patient was not tested for H1N1 immediately, senior Medical Superintendent Dr Romesh said.

Two patients were reportedly died of swine flue at Dr Rajinder Prassad Medical College Tanda in Kangra district.

They were identified as Shushama (50) from Dharman and Vijay Kumar (35) from Jogipur.

Four suspected patients were found positive for H1N1 virus, including three?at IGMC and one at Tanda.

The patients testing positive were from Kangra, Solan, Shimla and Mandi districts.

There are reports that two new suspected cases were also reported in Chamba district as one patient have been referred to Tanda and other four years girls were admitted in the Chamba Zonal Hospital.

So far 130 samples of suspected swine flu patients had been tested and 36, including nine deaths were found positive.

Out of 27 patients, nineteen were discharged after treatment while six were admitted to IGMC and two at Tanda Medical College, state surveillance officer Dr Rajesh Guleri said.

The holidays of doctors and para medical staff have been cancelled and the situation was being monitored closely besides stepping up the awareness campaign to inform the people about the disease and the precautionary and preventive steps to be taken, he added.