With the death of one person from swine flu on Wednesday in Dehradun, the health department has swung into action mode. On Wednesday, a 36 year old man, a resident of Mianwala area lost his life due to the infection of H1 N 1 virus. The patient with symptoms of the disease was admitted in the Mahant Indiresh hospital on Sunday. The swab sample of this patient was tested positive at the molecular laboratory of the hospital which has been authorised by the New Delhi based National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) for swine flu tests.
Jolted at the death of three patients in less than three many months, the district health authorities sent a team of doctors and paramedics to the area where the patient resided. The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Dehradun, Dr Y S Thapliyal told The Pioneer that no symptoms of the disease were found in the close relatives of the deceased. As a precautionary measure all the family members have been provided the medicine of swine flu. The CMO expressed surprise at the incidences of the disease during peak of summer season. He said that the cases of the swine flu are sporadic in nature and could have been transmitted from other states. Dr Thapliyal claimed that all the hospitals have been provided with Tami flu, the medicine of the swine flu and H1 N1 masks. He said that the department is keeping a watch on the disease.
The first death due to Swine flu occurred on February 25, when the Tharali MlA Magan lal Shah succumbed to the H1 N1 virus. The disease took its second victim on April 3 when a 42 old woman of lakkhibagh area, lost her life.
Swine flu is a viral disease, its virus is also called H1 N1 and its genetic analysis has shown that it has originated from the animals specially pigs hence it is called Swine flu. The virus spreads from person to person similar to that of seasonal influenza.