Thaindian News

Kolkata, Aug 15 (IANS) The total number of swine flu cases in West Bengal rose to 32 after four people in various parts of Kolkata tested positive for the H1N1 virus Saturday, a health department official said. One person was reported to be serious.
“One of the four, Akash Chowdhury, was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of the (state-run) R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital a few days back with fever and breathing problems. He is serious,” Tapas Sen, the state’s nodal officer for swine flu, told IANS.

Chowdhury will not be shifted out of the hospital because of his condition. “We have taken all precautionary measures for the safety of other patients and doctors,” Sen added.

Another person who has tested positive for swine flu is being brought to the hospital.

Earlier in the day, Abhradip Dutta and his sister Priyodarshini Dutta tested positive for swine flu and were admitted to the isolation ward of the M.R. Bangur Hospital in the southern fringes of the city Saturday. Their father, a confirmed swine flu patient, is already admitted in hospital.

However, there has been no report of any fatality in the state so far.

Earlier, 12 confirmed positive and three suspected swine flu affected patients had been admitted in the Beliaghata Infectious Diseases (ID) Hospital.

A high-level meeting chaired by state Chief Secretary Ashok Mohan Chakraborty has also been scheduled Aug 18 to assess the swine flu situation.

Meanwhile, the state’s school education department had already issued advisories to the district school authorities about the essential measures required to be taken to combat the infection among children.