Four members of a family, including a doctor duo working at the Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital, are suspected to have contracted the H1N1 virus and are currently being treated in the isolation ward of the same hospital since Friday.
Out of the four, one of them has been tested positive for the swine flu virus as per reports by a private lab. Blood sample reports of the other three members are being awaited, according to the Hindu.
Dr Kalyanakumar, who works at the Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital, was tested positive for H1N1 as per blood test reports that were taken after his fever refused to subside. He admitted himself to the isolation ward of the hospital since Friday and has been undergoing treatment. His wife who also works at TVMCH. His mother and 91-year-old grandfather also were also admitted to the hospital as they also had fever and cough.
The blood sample which tested positive for H1N1 has been sent for reconfirmation to King Institute (Chennai). The four are reportedly stable and the hospital began treatment, the doctor said.
Meanwhile, fumigation of Dr Kalyankumar’s house and that of his close relatives (who visited him when he had a fever) has been undertaken by public health officials.
The officials said that tablets have been given to all those who visited the said house, and they have been instructed not to go out for 10 days.
“We have instructed all the regional joint directors and district deputy directors of the health and family welfare department to monitor the issue. As of now, there are only four cases admitted in the Tirunelveli government medical college hospital,” TN Health Minister C Vijayabaskar told mediapersons.
In the neighbouring state of Karnataka, one more person succumbed to the virus, raising the death toll to 6 in the state. In Bengaluru alone, 177 cases of swine flu have been confirmed till October 14.