7 out of 9 test negative for H1N1 virus in Pune

The seven teenagers volunteered to get themselves examined at the Naidu Hospital Friday. The reports of other two are still awaited.

P S Awate, head of the swine-flu control room in Mumbai, said, "There was no addition to the numbers. Nine teenagers from the same class volunteered to get themselves examined on Friday. Of these, seven tested negative, while the reports of the other two are awaited.

“There are nine H1N1-positive patients admitted at the Naidu Hospital at present,” he added.

All the students studying in the same school got the virus from the boys who returned from U.S. with flu-like symptoms, earlier this week.

A week long holiday for the infected class
As many as five students, studying in the same class in an English medium school, had tested positive for the virus, following which the school on Wednesday declared a week-long holiday for the particular class.

Chintamani Latkar, trustee of the school, said, "We have sent an email to all the guardians and requested them to refer to a doctor if their wards are showing typical symptoms of the H1N1 flu like sore throat, chills, fever, body ache etc. and get them diagnosed with the same.

“We have also assured them that such students will be given necessary time to recover and we will make up for the loss of their studies."

P S Chavan, joint director of health service, Maharashtra, said, "There are 33 cases of H1N1 flu registered in the state so far, of which 19 patients have been discharged."

Swine flu in the nation
With eight new cases of swine flu reported in the country, the tally of the infected shot up to 268 Friday.

At least 1,424 people have been tested so far in the country.' Of the 268 positive cases, 170 have been discharged, the health ministry said in a statement.