Mother-child duo tests positive for swine flu in Bangalore

A 29-year-old woman and her child, who arrived from the US, tested positive for H1NI flu, prompting authorities to seek details of all passengers who came by the same flight on June 12, a top health official said today.

“As a precautionary measure, details of passengers who arrived from New Jersey by the Air France flight and were seated close to the duo have been collected,” health commissioner Shrinivasachari told PTI.

He said health authorities were constantly checking whether any passenger had developed flu symptoms like fever, severe cough, any respiratory problems or body pain.

The co-passengers have also been requested to immediately call up the toll-free number in case they develop any flu symptoms, Shrinivasachari said, adding treatment had begun for the woman and her three-year-old child, quarantined at the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases, after they were found suffering from flu like symptoms.

Their throat swab samples, sent to Pune-based National Institute of Virology for analysis, tested positive for the flu, he said.

Throat culture samples of five persons, who arrived at Bengaluru International Airport (BIA), two from the US and three from Bangkok, yesterday, had been sent to the NIV and the reports awaited, he said.

Three other suspect cases, a couple and a woman, who were also quarantined at the institute, tested negative, Usha Vasunkar, Director of Health and Family Welfare Services, said.