Shimla/Chennai: Swine flu claimed its first victim in Himachal Pradesh on Saturday with a 55-year-old woman succumbing to the fever while 29 persons tested positive for the disease in Tamil Nadu.
The woman who died at Indira Gandhi Medical College in Shimla was referred to the hospital from Sarkaghat in Mandi district after she complained of fever and cough and tested positive for H1N1, Medical Superintendent Dr KS Rana said.
"She was brought here at a very late stage when the lungs normally get affected and could not be saved" he added.
This was the first case of swine flu and first casualty
in the state and as a precaution, all cases of fever and cough
are being tested for swine flu virus, he added.
As a precaution, the State Surveillance unit has already
sounded an alert in the state and directions have been issued
to all the Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) and Medical Colleges
to remain vigilant and test all influenza like cases for swine
flu.
Meanwhile, sources in IGMC said five samples were tested
for swine flu on Friday but they tested negative.
Twenty-nine persons have so far tested positive for the
disease in Tamil Nadu, Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr
VS Vijay said. However, instances of the virus are not
"endemic but sporadic," he said asking people not to panic.
Those who have tested positive mainly hail from the
districts of Chennai, Coimbatore and Tirupur, he told
reporters in Chennai.
A 75 year-old farmer from Tirupur district died due to
swine flu last week. Twenty-six of his relatives have been
administered with preventive vaccine, the minister said.
PTI
