Woman dies of swine flu in UP

A woman died here of swine flu late Friday, health officials said Saturday.

Neelam Singh had recently returned from Delhi and had complained of breathlessness and other complications. Her husband, a doctor at the King George's Medical University (KGMU) here, got her admitted to a medical facility in the city.

Tests conducted on her confirmed that she was infected with H1N1 swine flu virus and was shifted to an isolation ward at the city's Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS).

Her condition deteriorated Friday night and she died, a family member told IANS, adding that she was administered Tamiflu and other medicines but could not be saved. Her husband, Rakesh Deewan, is an assistant professor at the anatomy department of KGMU.

Soon after the death of the patient due to swine flu was determined, health officials ordered a thorough screening of people who had been in touch with her during treatment, and Tamiflu was administered to them as well.

'We are taking due precautions now that we know that the patient died of swine flu,' a doctor said. He added that certain areas in the SGPGIMS premises and the trauma centre had been sanitized.

Areas around the residence of the family have also been 'taken care of', an official said. This is the first death of a swine flu patient in summers here as the virus is said to be lethal only during the winter season.