Thaindian News

Chandigarh, June 19 (IANS) The health department in Chandigarh is likely to quarantine another family in the city as one of its members, who recently returned from the US, could be suffering from influenza A(H1N1), officials said Friday.
According to health officials, a 70-year-old woman, returning from the US June 14 with her two grandchildren, approached the doctors with complaints of sneezing and a sore throat Thursday. Considering her travel history, she was admitted to the government hospital in Sector 32.

Officials have now zeroed in on three more members of her family - her husband and grandchildren - who had come in contact with her.

“We have sent the blood samples of the woman to the NICD (National Institute of Communicable Diseases) in New Delhi for the tests and are waiting for the reports. We would quarantine her family if she is tested positive or we if find out that they had encountered any H1N1 affected patient,” H.C. Gera, the nodal officer for swine flu in the union territory, told IANS here Friday.

“The woman is normal and has been admitted to an isolated ward. We are still investigating their travel history and talking to the family members. If we find anything suspicious, then we would quarantine the family,” he added.

Meanwhile, four members of another family who were quarantined June 13 by the health department at their home were Friday declared free of the disease.

“All the family members are normal. We had examined them twice a day but did not find any symptom of flu,” Gera said.

The four people, who interacted with a swine flu-infected relative in Delhi, were quarantined by the health department as a precautionary measure. They remained indoors during this period and no visitor except the health officials came to their house, officials said.