Two patients suspected to be suffering from Swine flu have died in the Himalayan hospital on Thursday. The district health department has not confirmed these deaths as caused by swine flu as it is yet to receive their Enzyme linked Immunosorbent Assay (ElISA) report. However to add to the discomfiture of the department two more cases of the disease were reported positive for swine flu on Thursday.
On Thursday death of two patients suspected to be suffering from swine flu died at Himalayan Institute Hospital Trust (HIHT) Jollygrant. Incidentally samples of both these patients (males of 54 and 42 years of age) were sent for tes ElISA test only Wednesday. The hospital authorities have confirmed that both these patients were suspected cases of swine flu.
The head of Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), Dr Puneet Chandra however said that the reports of the ElISA test of both these patients are yet to arrive. He said that on the two patients were found positive for the disease and both of them are admitted in the Doon hospital.
One of these two swine flu patients is 45 years old and is a resident of Bijnore in Uttar Pradesh while other is 14 year old boy, a resident of Roshanabad in Haridwar. With these two positive cases the number of swine flu patients in the state capital has mounted to 28. Incidentally 14 cases of the disease have been found in the month of July only and five persons have succumbed from the disease in the month.
The district health authorities are claiming that the department is on high alert and all geared up to combat the disease and all hospitals have adequate stock of Tami flu, N- 95 Masks, triple layered masks and BTM vials. The health department has directed all hospitals to set up isolation wards for swine flu patients.
Swine flu is a viral disease, its virus is also called H1 N1 virus 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.