Seven students test positive for swine flu, parents anxious

New Delhi, June 16 (ANI): Seven of nine students of an educational institution in Jalandhar, Punjab, who recently visited NASA, as part of an academic tour, have tested positive for swine flu. The tests were conducted at the National Institution of Communicable Diseases, New Delhi.

A 12 year old girl in Mumbai was also suspected to be affected by this virus.

According to Jalandhar's Deputy Commissioner, Ajit Singh Pannu, ten students of the Guru Amar Das school were undergoing treatment at the civil hospital. The result of the sample of one more student is awaited as it was sent later. Parents of these students expressed worry and anger at the turn of events. They said the trip should not have been organised when the virus was spreading.

The other students who were part of this trip and were still unaffected by the virus, were also asked to undergo a check up to be on the safer side.

With this, Punjab has become the only state in India, where swine flu has affected people in a cluster.

In Mumbai, a 12-year-old girl who arrived from Thailand after a week long vacation was found to be suffering from fever and cough.

According to the Maharashtra health authorities, the girl has been quarantined as a precautionary measure in Mumbai's Kasturba Hospital. Her medical reports are expected soon.

In Andhra Pradesh, where the country's highest number of cases of swine flu was reported, a help line system has been launched to provide information on swine flu symptoms and available medical facilities.

The help line system will work through the BSNL toll free no 12506. The state government will guide people on whom to contact for diagnosis and treatment, and has also launched an SMS facility.

As per World Health Organization (WHO), India is now at the start of 2009 Influenza pandemic.he WHO had also noted that the spread of H1N1 flu in Australia, Britain, Chile, Japan and Spain has nudged the world closer to a pandemic.

The new strain, commonly known as swine flu, has infected almost 30,000 people in over 70 countries with 145 deaths reported, according to the WHO in which Mexico, the United States and Canada have borne the brunt of the illness while research work is still on to formulate an effective vaccine to counter the pandemic. (ANI)