India confirms seventh case of swine flu

New Delhi, June 6(ANI): A four-and-a-half year old girl has been tested positive for influenza A (H1N1), making it the seventh case of swine flu to be reported in India.

According to reports, the virus has been transmitted to the girl through her brother, who was tested positive earlier this week.

"The youth had returned to India from the US via London. He got down at Hyderabad airport and went straight home. It is now confirmed that he transmitted the virus to his brother and a young girl who was travelling with him on the same flight," said Shiv Lal, head of the National Institute of Communicable Diseases.

Three of them are being monitored in hospitals in Hyderabad.

"A team of NICD officials is on its way to Hyderabad along with a multi-disciplinary rapid response team," Lal said.

The youth, a 20-year-old man had reported at the Hyderabad hospital with complaints of cough, running nose and fever.

"His samples tested positive for Influenza A (H1N1). He has been put on Oseltamivir, as are the others," the official said.

As soon as his case was reported, authorities had swung into action and tried to trace people who had been in contact with him.

"Among the passengers near him was a four-and-a-half-year-old girl. She was sitting with her mother on the next row. When she was tested, she was found positive," he added.

"Samples of her mother was also sent for testing and were found negative. But we are doing a repeat test," Lal said. (ANI)