Thaindian News

New Delhi, May 17 (IANS) Authorities are trying to trace the co-passengers of a 23-year-old Hyderabad resident, who had come there from the US and was detected to be infected with influenza A(H1N1), popularly knows as swine flu, health officials said Sunday.
“We are tracing his co-passengers,” a health ministry official said.

“Their health status should be observed and of those who came in contact with them. These people would also be advised to be in home quarantine for next seven days. Their health status would also be monitored,” the official said.

The health ministry has also urged the Andhra Pradesh government that after these co-passengers are contacted, they should be observed.

India reported its first swine flu infection Saturday.

The 23-year-old man travelled by Emirates Airline from New York to Hyderabad via Dubai. He reached India Wednesday morning and was quarantined after he was found to be suffering from fever, the officials said.

“He is undergoing treatment,” said a statement issued by the health ministry here.

The man has been shifted to an identified isolation facility under strict infection control, after his samples tested positive for swine flu, the official added.

The man, who has not been identified, was being treated with anti-influenza drugs Oseltamivir and Afebrile.

Health screening of passengers coming from affected countries is continuing in 21 international airports.

“We have screened 40,359 passengers. Around 14,683 passengers were from affected countries,” the official added.

About 191 doctors and 101 paramedics have been deployed at 76 counters at 21 international airports in the country.

So far, the authorities said, they have screened 615,000 passengers who had come from the swine flu infected countries. “We have tested samples of 65 people and this includes the one which tested positive for Influenza A (H1N1). The rest have been found negative,” the official added.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), so far 39 countries have officially reported 8,480 cases of swine flu infection.

Mexico has reported 2,895 confirmed human cases of infection, including 66 deaths.

The US has reported 4,714 laboratory confirmed human cases, including four deaths. Canada has reported 496 laboratory confirmed human cases, including one death. Costa Rica has reported nine laboratory confirmed human cases, including one death.