Tamil Nadu - Madurai

Boy tests positive for swine flu

MADURAI: An eight-year-old boy, who complained of fever, cough and sore throat on return from New Jersey, has tested positive for A(H1N1) influenza, swine flu. He has been quarantined and admitted to the Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH) here.

According to the Dean (in charge), S. M. Sivakumar, the patient is normal and has no cough or fever.

“Since it is night time we have not administered Tamiflu. But we will start it from tomorrow,” he said.

A swab test was taken on the boy on June 19 and sent to the National Institute of Communicable Diseases, New Delhi.

The confirmation of swine flu was received on Wednesday.

Another swab test would be taken on the fourth day, Dr. Sivakumar said and added that the boy had come to India on a three-week vacation to visit his grandparents at K. Pudur here and was expected to leave the country in two weeks.

Adequate measures had been taken in the hospital to administer Tamiflu, he said.

The boy had come to Madurai with his mother and two other children where he complained of fever, cough and sore throat.

He was taken to a private hospital from where he was referred to the GRH.

The boy’s parents preferred to keep him in ‘house quarantine’ till the results of the tests came out.

The Director of Public Health, S. Elango, said that the boy should be kept in the isolation ward of the GRH for at least 10 days.

The family members, who accompanied him, should voluntarily come forward to get tested if they had any symptom of swine flu.

The standard treatment protocol would be monitored by the Directorate.

The situation would be monitored for the next one week from Chennai.

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