Mother, son with swine flu symptoms quarantined in Coimbatore

Sivaprakasam, resident medical officer of the hospital, disclosed that "One lady and one male came with the symptoms of swine flu and got admitted in the quarantined ward.

“Their blood and throat swabs has been taken and sent to the National Institute of Communicable Diseases, New Delhi. They (scientists at NICD) will analyze the sample of blood and throat swab and send the result within 48 hours.”

The suspected duo
According to hospital officials, the 26-year-old man, who was studying at a university in New Jersey, came to Coimbatore four days ago to attend a wedding in the family.

The man complained of sore throat and fever on his return from Bangalore two days ago. It is believed he was feeling the discomfort of a mild fever and a painful throat even before his departure from the United States.

His mother, a 55-year-old Indian resident also complained of similar symptoms. After consultations with a senior health department official, they sought medical intervention and got themselves admitted to the hospital. As a precaution, they have been isolated and their health is being closely monitored.

The hospital dean, Dr V Kumaran, stated “As they showed symptoms, we have quarantined them. However, only blood tests will confirm if they have swine flu.”

Update on A/H1N1 strain
Health officials in Hyderabad, capital of Andhra Pradesh, confirmed India’s first case of H1N1 flu on Saturday- a 23-year-old patient who arrived on May 13 from the United States.

Thirty-nine countries have now confirmed cases of the flu strain, a mix of swine, human and avian viruses, which has prompted the World Heath Organization (WHO) to announce a global pandemic alert level to 5 on a 6-point scale.

In its latest update, the WHO has confirmed 8,480 cases worldwide, with 72 deaths. The symptoms of the virus resemble those of a seasonal influenza strain, which kills 500,000 annually by spreading rapidly.