Pune: Two swine flu suspects under observation

Pune, May 12: Two passengers, who arrived from Spain and the USA respectively, have been kept under observation at a hospital in Pune since they were suspected to be patients of swine flu.

Presently the suspected patients have been quarantined in the isolation ward of Naidu Hospital in Pune.

"Considering suspected viral infection they have been kept in isolation and their samples will be sent to the NIV, Pune to find out whether they are suffering from the swine flu, which is H1N1.

Till that time they will be treated with antibiotics and other drugs. Only after the confirmation, whether they have this type virus, H1N1 virus or not, that will be clear, and further course of treatment...will be decided after that. If the reports come negative they'll be sent out immediately," said Dr N B Kadam, physician-specialist, Naidu Hospital, Pune.

World Health Organisation (WHO) laboratories have confirmed 4,694 infections with the new strain of H1N1 flu, which the United Nations agency said on Monday has killed at least 53 people.

The official tally, which tends to lag national reports, is considered more secure and it includes 48 deaths in the disease epicentre Mexico, three deaths in the United States, and one each in Canada and Costa Rica.

A total of 30 countries have had infections with the swine flu strain that is a genetic mixture of swine, bird and human viruses. Mexico has had 1,626 laboratory-confirmed cases, the United States has had 2,532, and Canada has had 284. Costa Rica has had 8 laboratory-confirmed confirmed cases.

The European countries with the largest number of confirmed cases to date are Spain (95) and Britain (47).

ANI