Thaindian News

Bangalore, Aug 16 (IANS) Two women have died from the Influenza A (H1N1) virus here, taking the swine flu toll in the city to five, medical officials said.
Shilpa and Shamshad Begum, both 26 years of age, died in St. John’s Hospital and the Baptist Hospital respectively late Saturday, doctors at the two hospitals said.

Shilpa was admitted Aug 10 and Tamiflu medication begun the same day, Mabel Vasnaik, the doctor who treated her, told IANS Sunday.

“She had fever for five days prior to the admission. On Aug 11, we sent her swabs for tests and on Aug 14 the results confirmed positive (for H1N1 virus),” Vasnaik said.

Administering Tamiflu tablets was stopped on Aug 14 as five-day course had been completed, she said.

Shilpa died Aug 15 evening, Vasnaik said, adding Tamiflu is not effective after five days.

Vasnaik declined to give more details on Shilpa, saying she would not disclose personal details of her patients. However, Shilpa was not a teacher, she added.

Shilpa was the first case in Bangalore when a H1N1 patient died after results had proved positive.

In the other four cases, test results reached the hospitals treating them after their death.

Shamshad Begum also died Saturday evening, five days after she was admitted with pneumonia symptoms to the Baptist Hospital.

“She also had a cardiac problem, which was not diagnosed earlier,” Abraham Chandy, chief of medical staff of the hospital, told IANS.

As her condition deteriorated, doctors suspected H1N1 and she was administered Tamiflu on Aug 14 and her throat and nasal swabs were sent for tests. Shamshad Begum passed away Saturday evening and the test results confirming H1N1 virus came later, he said.

All three women H1N1 victims were in their twenties. On Aug 12 Rupa Anand, also 26 years, died from the Influenza A, becoming the first victim in the city.

Asked about test results reaching hospitals after the patient had died, Chandy said: “It takes 24 hours for test results to come. However, as soon as we suspect a patient to be suffering from H1N1, we begin administering Tamiflu tablets.”

“We have two more H1N1 patients under treatment and both are progressing well,” Chandy said.

The other two H1N1 virus victims in Bangalore were Shivanna, 55, and Manjunath, 28. Both died Friday.