One more person with symptoms of swine flu quarantined in Tamil Nadu

Coimbatore, July 14 (ANI): One more person with symptoms of the dreaded swine flu was quarantined in Coimbatore.

Presently, he is in the isolation ward of the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital.

The blood samples of a youngster named Harijan (24) who returned to India from Malaysia has been sent to the National Institute of Communicable Disease (NICD) in New Delhi for further analysis.

So far, nine cases of swine flu have been reported in Tamil Nadu out which, two from Coimbatore were confirmed positive cases.

"Thirteen cases were reported here out of which two were positive and all others were negative. The two positive cases have been treated successfully and sent back home. This is the fourteenth case referred from the nearest district," said Dr. Durai Kannan, Joint Director, Health Department, Coimbatore Medical College Hospital.

Meanwhile, experts from the New Delhi-based National Institute of Communicable Diseases visited the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital and examined the quarantine wards in the hospital.

"We have come to see the situation. The Joint Director is here and the Regional Director looking after this area," said Shahai Hussain, Joint Director, National Institute of Communicable Diseases, New Delhi.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) had declared influenza pandemic last month and advised governments to prepare for a long-term battle against an unstoppable new flu virus.

The WHO had no immediate comment on the case of Tamiflu resistance. (ANI)