Man quarantined at Kolkata for swine flu symptoms

Shyamal Sarkar (35) landed in Kolkata on an Emirates flight from Dubai at 9.30 a.m. and underwent a mandatory medical check-up at the airport since he was ailing from fever, body pain and respiratory problems. The authorities provided him a mask immediately, and sent him to the hospital.

“During the medical check-up, he displayed influenza-like symptoms with respiratory problems. He was quarantined and sent to the Infectious Disease (ID) hospital at Beliaghata,” said Dr Sujit Bakshi of the Airport Authority of India.

Patient under observation
The patient has been kept in isolation and his health is being closely monitored. Though Sarkar is on an anti-viral medication, hospital authorities disclosed that the patient’s symptoms were not particularly suggestive of swine flu.

ID Hospital medical superintendent and vice-principal, Dr B Bhandari, said, “His swab has been sent for test at the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) Delhi.” The results are expected in a couple of days.

Sarkar denied that he had any symptoms of the H1N1 flu but admitted that his speech was slurred as he had suffered a mild stroke three months ago. This is perhaps what made doctors at the airport suspicious.

"My wife died three months ago due to kidney complications. I was in Dubai then and suffered a mild stroke. My speech got slurred after that. There is no way I can contract swine flu," he said.

Though Dubai is not a swine flu-affected country the authorities are not taking any risk. Experts feel that there is a possibility of him contracting the disease from another human being.

Passenger screening beefed up
Cautious screening was being conducted on flights coming from swine flu affected nations and major international airports like Dubai.

People arriving from swine flu-affected countries are monitored for seven days even if they do not display any symptoms. Sarkar is the first passenger who was quarantined in Kolkata since the medical check-up at the airport began around April 30.

“Nineteen doctors of the Central Government Health Department are maintaining a 24-hour vigil at the International terminal of the airport,” said Dr. Sujit Bakshi, chief medical officer of the Airport Authorities Medical Services.

In a bid to meet any eventuality, the health ministry is maintaining a strategic stock of logistics in the regional offices of the Ministry. As a precautionary measure, the State Rapid Response Teams in all states and Union Territory administrations have been provided 2,000 capsules of Oseltamivir.

Until now samples of 71 people have been tested, including the one which tested positive for swine flu. The rest have been found negative.