The engineer, like majority of the cases reported in the country, appears to have been infected by the influenza during his recent visit to Honduras and New Jersey in the United States.
Condition normal
The Andheri resident developed flu like symptoms on June 16, a day after he landed in India. He consulted a physician at Kokilaben Ambani Hospital in suburban Andheri from where he was refereed to the BMC run Kasturba Hospital in central Mumbai.
The engineer’s throat swabs were sent to the National Institute of Virology in Pune for testing. Reports received on Friday confirmed the infection.
Meanwhile, the patient was quarantined at the special ward for swine flu patients at the Kasturba Hospital which is the nodal centre for treatment of H1N1 viral infection in the city. He was also administered Oseltamivir (Tamiflu) immediately as a preventive measure.
Dr Jairaj Thanekar, executive health officer of BMC disclosed, “It is protocol for anyone who is quarantined to be immediately given the drug even before confirmatory reports are available."
Dr Pradeep Awate, head of the influenza cell in Mumbai said of the engineer’s current state, “His condition is normal and he has only mild fever and running nose. He is responding to treatment.”
No flu like symptoms in family
The health officials would now visit the patient’s residence and close relatives with whom the patient would have had contact in the recent past.
None of the family members is said to have developed flu like symptoms as of now. However, they would still be screened and put on lower doses of Tamiflu to check the spread of the virus, disclosed the health officials.
"We have advised his relatives to isolate themselves in home. They have been advised not to have close contact with others for now," Awate said.
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