Another suspected swine flu case in city

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 30

A 24-year-old resident of Sector 19 was admitted to Government Multi-Specialty Hospital (GMSH), Sector 16, today after he walked in citing suspicion of being infected with the H1N1 virus (swine flu).

In the wake of the swine flu cases being reported at city hospitals, doctors have clarified myths about the possibility of human beings contracting swine flu by consumption of either pork or salami.

They said in India “human infection droplets” were the source of swine flu so far and no infections had been found in pigs (the original and initial source of swine flu detected in a foreign country nearly eight years ago).

The sample of the throat swab of the 24-year-old youth has been sent for examination to the PGI virology lab. The reports are awaited, said an official from the hospital.

“Unlike in the case of bird flu, where the infection is found in birds due to which these have to be culled to check the spread of the infection in the species and from them to human beings, no such infections of swine flu have yet been reported in animals so far, “ said Dr Gopal Bhardwaj from the Internal Medicine Department of the GMSH-16.

“It is a myth that food can cause this infection. No sickness has been reported among animals so far,” said Lovelesh Kant Gupta, Joint Director, UT Animal Husbandry Department.

The total number of swine flu cases reported this winter has reached five, including one death.