Punjab in swine flue grip as 10 die, 35 affected
Wednesday, 23/01/2013
http://www.punjabnewsline.com/news/Swine-flu-spreads-its-tentacles_-8-more-patients-test-positive.html
LUDHIANA/JALANDHAR: Punjab seems to be in a tight grip of swine flu as ten persons have already died of swine flu this winter and as many as 35 others, found to be affected by the disease, are undergoing treatment in various places in the state.
"In this winter season ten people died due to swine flu in the state. Six of them were residents of Punjab while the remaining were from different states," nodal officer, Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) Deepak Bhatia said today.
"35 people affected by swine flu are being treated in the state out of which eight people have come for treatment from other states including neighbouring Haryana," Bhatia said.
Last year 14 people were affected by the disease but this year around twice the number of people have been diagnosed with the flu, he said.
Meanwhile, eight more suspected patients tested positive at various places in Punjab. While one patient was brought for treatment from Haryana, all others were from the state.
According to Dr Bhatia, two patients each were admitted to DMC Hospital, SPS Apollo Hospital in Ludhiana and Fortis Hospital, Mohali while two more patients were under treatment at Ropar and Max Hospital, Mohali.
The district health officials said two more suspected cases of swine flu - one from the city and another from Sangrur, were admitted to local hospitals. Their samples were being sent to PGI Chandigarh for confirmed diagnosis.
Till now as many as 43 confirmed cases of swine flu had been reported from the state, out of which 35 were from different places in Punjab alone.
