Despite appreciable rise in temperature, suspected swine flu cases are continuing to emerge at an alarming rate in the Capital city. On Friday the Health Department officials collected samples of four more suspected patients. The district in charge of Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) Dr Madan Bonal told The Pioneer that on Friday samples from three suspected swine flu patients form Himalayan Institute Hospital Trust (HIHT) Jollygrant and one patient from CMI hospital were collected and sent to National Centre of Disease Control (NCDC) for confirmation of the disease.
He said that on Friday the department did not receive any report from the NCDC. With a death toll of six people Dehradun is the worst swine flu affected district in the state. The department has collected samples of 244 suspected swine flu patients since January this year. The samples of 66 patients have proved positive for the disease while 155 samples have proved negative till date. The department is yet to receive the reports of 23 suspected patients from NCDC.
The continuing cases of swine flu in Dehradun is worrying the health department as they were hoping that increase in temperature would reduce the prevalence of infection. The mercury is mounting from last many days but the numbers of case are still pouring in much to chagrin of beleaguered health department.