India records first swine flu death in Pune

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India registered its first swine flu death today after a 14-year-old school girl from Pune fell victim to the virus.

Rhia Shaikh, a resident of the cantonment area in Pune, was admitted to the Jehangir Hospital last week with symptoms of the disease, hospital authorities said.

The death occurred even as health officials in Pune said three more persons, including two students, were tested positive for the H1N1 virus last night, taking the total number of Swine flu cases in the city to 101, of which 71 are school students.

Several schools were also shut after Pune came on India’s swine flu map, with 558 cases reported in several parts of the country.

The swine flu control cell, set up by the Maharashtra government, has reported 147 positive cases of swine flu across the state.

“Although the H1N1 virus is considered to be mild, children and senior citizens are easily susceptible to it. All H1N1 infection cases are being monitored closely and treatment is going on,” an official from the swine flu control cell said.

Confirming the death, Union Health Secretary Naresh Dayal said the girl could have been “saved” if there was medical intervention in time, suggesting there was a delay in treatment.

The girl first started showing symptoms of sore throat, running nose and a headache on July 21, after which she consulted a doctor, a health ministry official said. He added that she had improved following which she resumed going to school. But she developed fever again on July 25, for which she consulted another private medical practitioner but the fever persisted and she was admitted to Jahangir Hospital on July 27.

As the patient’s condition worsened, she was shifted to the ICU and was put on ventilator support on July 29 and tested positive for swine flu on July 30. Despite being on Oseltamivir, an anti-swine flu drug, her condition deteriorated, leading to multi-organ failure and she expired today, a senior health ministry official said in New Delhi.

Health authorities in New Delhi and Mumbai said there was no reason for panic, but counselled schools to bar students showing symptoms of the disease like severe cold, bodyache and cough.