Nepal issues alert as swine flue virus infects 17

Nepal government has issued a high alert after at least 17 people, many of them from areas near the India-Nepal border, have tested positive for the deadly swine flu virus, officials today said.
The National Public Health Laboratory said of the 17 cases, nine were reported from the capital Kathmandu.
The government has issued high alert following the outbreak of the H1N1 virus, mainly in the Nepal-India border areas.
The latest Swine flu cases have been reported from Nawalparasi district, where four people have been infected by the virus.
Health officials, however, asked the public not to panic saying the number of confirmed cases have not reached the epidemic level.

With the disease already claiming nearly 1,000 lives in India, the swine flu cases have led to panic in parts of Nepal.

The District Natural Disaster Rescue Committee has set up help desks at the border-check points in Nawalparasi district in western Nepal.
District Hospital chief Dr Nural Doha said the help desks were set up realising the possible threat of the virus coming to Nepal via India.
Health desks with health personnel and security personnel were set up at Triveni and Maheshpur in the district.