Swine flu claims one more life in Karnataka: Death toll rises to 5

One more death from a suspected case of swine flu has been reported in Karnataka’s Hassan district. Shivananjegouda, who hailed from Hassan’s Arakalagadu region, came down with a high-grade fever and was admitted and treated for the same at a Mission hospital in the district. He was later shifted to a private hospital in Bengaluru for treatment, where doctors began to suspect that he may be suffering from swine flu and were being monitored and treated.

The 56-year-old succumbed to his illness on Tuesday night. While a throat swab was done and sent for testing, results are awaited. “There have been 89 suspected cases in the district so far. We have sent samples and only nine were confirmed positive for swine flu. Of these, two patients presented with some complications,” Hassan District Health Officer Dr Satish told TNM.

While earlier reports stated that over 400 people have contracted the infection in the state, the health department numbers remain conflicting. As per sources from the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases, four people, besides Shivananjegouda, have died in the past three months, with two alleged deaths just two days ago in the city.

The State’s Health Department, despite being aware of the deaths, claims to not know anything. Records, however, state that three women and one man have died from H1N1 so far, with two of the deceased hailing from Bengaluru.

The first death happened on August 27. Kavya Kamakshi, a 24-year-old pregnant woman, was admitted at Manipal Hospital, Bengaluru. She complained of lower respiratory tract infection. She was later referred to Rajiv Gandhi Institute. They confirmed that she had H1N1 flu and that she died at the hospital.

The second death happened on October 1. Puttamma, a 60-year-old resident of Ramanagaram, was admitted with pneumonia and lower respiratory tract infection. She, too, succumbed to the infection.

The third and the fourth deaths, both residents of Bengaluru, were reported on October 7 at the hospital. Govindan, a 55-year-old, complained of symptoms of flu and was coughing blood. He, too, was a confirmed case of swine flu. Gangarathnamma, a 37-year-old woman from Bengaluru, complained of fever, vomiting and dysentery. Again, it was a confirmed case of swine flu. She died due to severe dehydration on October 8. Lastly, on October 11,  Shivananjegouda died.

However, the health department officials claim to be unaware of these deaths. IN fact, Dr Sreenivasa, DHO Bengaluru Urban, gave a blatant reply, “I am not sure of these deaths. It could have occurred in Hassan. Please watch television; you will get more information.”

However, RGICD sources say that since the beginning of September, 84 people have visited the hospital for screening after referrals. Eleven people have been tested positive for H1N1. While five have died at the hospital, two more confirmed cases are being treated now.

The state is currently seeing over 400 cases of swine flu being.

Earlier, officials stated that precautionary measures were in full swing with 150 tablets of Tamiflu being distributed.

Swine flu, also known as H1N1, is caused by the influenza A virus. Pigs are known to be the primary hosts, though it can be contracted from an infected person.

The symptoms of swine flu include high fever, cough, cold, fever, sore throat, headache, nausea and vomiting. People may also present with chills or extreme fatigue and muscle pain, known as myalgia. A throat swab and culture will determine whether a person is indeed suffering from swine flu.

People have been advised to take proper hygiene measures to ensure the transmission is reduced.