The victims
The latest three cases include a mother-son duo, while the third victim is another woman who landed at the Karippur Airport in Kozhikode from Dubai on June 24.
The 53-year-old woman and her 24-year-old son also returned from UK on the same day and landed at the Nedumbassery Airport in Kochi.
The throat swab samples of all the three were sent for analysis to the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD). Reports received telephonically by the hospitals where these foreign returned nationals have been quarantined revealed that they had tested positive for H1N1.
The mother and the son have been quarantined in Perumbavur Taluk Hospital, whereas the third victim had been admitted to Kozhikode Government Beach Hospital, Health Department sources said.
Health officials also confirmed that more than 680 people in the country have been tested for the Influenza A (H1N1) so far. Out of these 97 were tested positive. Majority of those tested positive had contracted the swine flu during their foreign visits.
Precautions
The news that swine flu had stretched its reach to Kerala came just days after State Health Minister, P K Sreemathy had confidently stated in the assembly, “Kerala so far has not been affected by swine flu. Right now, two patients are under observation and their test results are awaited.”
Taking cognizance of the fact that majority of the swine flu victims in the country are people who have returned from foreign countries, the Kerala government has set up round-the-clock monitoring cells at all the three airports in the state.
These cells examine all inbound passengers coming in from affected nations.
Kerala has also set up an isolation ward in every medical college hospital in the state. The state has adequate quantity of medicines, masks and gloves to combat the flu.
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