Colombo: A 16-year-old Sri Lankan boy has become the first person in the country to die of swine flu, doctors said on Sunday.
The victim, son of two doctors in Kandy, died on Wednesday night at Kandy Teaching Hospital, they said. Meanwhile, the Medical Research Institute has confirmed that the death was caused by A(H1N1), the officials who declined to be identified said, the Sunday Times reported.
This was the first reported death in Sri Lanka of the global pandemic flu which was detected in the country in June, senior health officials have confirmed.
They, however, said that there was no cause for alarm and asked the people not to panic.
"This boy had other complications including spinal and lung problems which could have aggravated the illness and placed him in a high-risk category," the newspaper quoted an official as saying.
Health authorities have advised people to go to the nearest hospital if anyone has a persistent fever for more than two days and flu-like symptoms.
While most hospitals have geared up to handle flu cases, a few have consultants who have been issued anti-viral drugs to deal with such cases, an official said.
Up to October 15, more than 115 flu-affected people had been detected through the airport surveillance mechanism, the newspaper report said.
Bureau Report
