After 1 Swine Flu Death, Public Health Officials on Alert in South India

Though the peak H1N1 season was over in March, sporadic cases of swine flu continue to be reported in Chennai, Kanyakumari and a few other districts in Tamil Nadu, South India.

The latest case of swine flu death was recorded on in Chennai when a 47-year-old woman from Villivakkam succumbed at a private hospital.

In view of this, Public Health officials are on alert and still conducting awareness camps in schools and other public places and educating people about the importance of hand washing and maintaining hygiene to keep the virus under control, said Dr K Kolandaswamy, Director of Public Health.

Referring to the woman's death he said, "The patient was suffering from asthma and she also tested positive for H1N1 virus. This made her condition worse and she died without responding to the treatment. If not for the infection, she would have lived with asthma. However, we are yet to categorise it into swine flu death. Pulmonologist have to conform it."

"We are monitoring the situation and conducting awareness camps. It is common to have the effect of the infection, once the epidemic is over. But now we are at tail end of the season and the virus will vanish soon," he added.

Source: Medindia