Three people in Tamil Nadu succumbed to fever while undergoing treatment. However as the official reports are yet to be released, it is not officially confirmed whether they were suffering from dengue or swine flu.
50-year-old Chitra V, who hailed from Sivaganga district in Tamil Nadu, was admitted to Madurai’s Government Rajaji Hospital after having presented with symptoms of swine flu. She was being treated in the hospital’s quarantine ward. However, as a result of underlying complications, she succumbed to her illness on Saturday.
“According to the primary reports, she was negative for swine flu, but we are yet to confirm this. She had some comorbid conditions, which aggravated her condition,” stated an official from Madurai’s GRH.
The other patient, a 32-year-old from Virudhunagar, was admitted with a high fever on Friday. According to the official, she, too, had presented with underlying comorbidities, which made it difficult for her to recover. As a result, she died on Saturday. It is unclear, however, whether she was infected with swine flu or dengue fever.
In Coimbatore, three patients, who were admitted to the government hospital, reportedly, died after battling a fever, though reports have yet to confirm their diagnosis.
According to Tamil television channel Puthiya Thalamurai, a five-year-old, Amudan, died while undergoing treatment for fever while another woman by the name of Vasantha, who hailed from Tiruppur district, died after showing symptoms of suspected swine flu. She was under observation at the hospital. Another patient, Sumitra, a resident of Nilgiri’s Coonoor, too, passed away after being admitted with a fever.
A total of 74 cases of fever have been reported at the GH in Coimbatore. Forty-one are suspected to be dengue while four seem to be swine flu.
Keeping it under control
“We are taking all necessary measures to ensure that the spread of these fevers is controlled,” a state health department official told TNM. “All those who are presenting with high-grade fever are urged to go to the hospital and get a check-up. Three people have died due to fever, but the reports have not yet been released, so we cannot conclude whether their deaths were due to dengue or swine flu at this time.”
He further added that for dengue, in particular, people are being urged to ensure that no standing water is left around and that other measures to control the breeding of mosquitoes are in place. The government is also making sure that fogging is done to reduce the mosquito population.
Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne disease caused by one of four types of the dengue virus. It is also called “break-bone fever” due to the immense joint pains, which are often experienced by those presenting with the fever. People commonly present with high-grade fever, headache, joint pains and nausea. In severe cases, hemorrhagic tendencies such as bleeding from the gums or blood in urine or stools, or even bruising tendencies under the skin can be seen.
Swine flu, or H1N1, is caused by an influenza A virus strain. Symptoms of swine flu are cough, fever, sore throat, headache, nausea, and vomiting. People may also present with chills and severe myalgia (fatigue).