On Sunday, a 28-year-old woman from Andhra Pradesh’s Vizianagaram district succumbed to swine flu. The woman was admitted to a chest hospital in Visakhapatnam after she was tested positive for swine flu.
The woman had visited King George Hospital (KGH) in Visakhapatnam after she exhibited symptoms of the flu on Saturday. Tests confirmed that she was suffering from swine flu after which she was admitted at the chest hospital for treatment of the same.
A 50-year-old man from Visakhapatnam too was admitted after having been tested positive for swine flu, taking the total number of positive cases in the state to 9, as of Monday.
Previously, one case of swine flu was reported in Tirupati and another from Krishna district. A young woman who had been undergoing treatment for cancer at the Chittoor campus of Vellore’s Christian Medical College and Hospital had contracted swine flu and was treated for the same. After making a complete recovery, she is now continuing her prior treatment.
Officials in the state have begun taking precautionary measures against the H1N1 virus, with authorities in Krishna district setting up screening areas at the airport, the railway station and at all bus stands in Vijayawada.
“Today, we have launched a campaign on swine flu in public spaces. It includes distributing pamphlets, making announcements and placing ads. All the officials concerned and paramedics will be participating," stated Dr Ramesh, Krishna District Medical and Health Officer.
Swine flu, or H1N1, is caused by the influenza A virus. Pigs are known to be the primary hosts, though a healthy individual can contract the same from an infected person. The most common symptoms of swine flu include high fever, cough, cold, fever, sore throat, headache, nausea and vomiting. The test to determine whether one has swine flu is a throat swab and culture.
People have been advised to take proper hygiene measures to ensure the transmission is reduced.