Infant dies, Telangana Deputy CM being treated for swine flu symptoms

The toll from swine flu has risen to five in Telangana as a 10-month-old baby died of the disease here, officials said on Saturday.Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mohammed Mehmood Ali is being treated for the symptoms of the H1N1 disease, officials said.

The child, a resident of Bibinagar in Yadadri district, died at the Gandhi Hospital on Friday.

This is the fifth death this year at the state nodal centre for swine flu. All other victims were adult women.

Though a 32-year-old man died on January 23 while undergoing treatment at the hospital's swine flu ward, but the officials said he died of other causes. He was tested negative for H1N1.

This was revealed after Institute of Preventive Medicine (IPM) released report of his swab sample.

Two confirmed cases of swine flu and four suspects are undergoing treatment here.

The Deputy Chief Minister is undergoing anti-viral treatment at his home in Azampura here. He is being evaluated by state-run Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS).

According to hospital sources, the samples of Mahmood Ali were sent to IPM. He has been advised isolation and rest.

Over 3,000 samples have been tested since August 1 last year and of these 165 samples were found positive, the officials said.

People have been advised to approach the hospital at the first symptoms of the disease such as high fever, sneezing, cough and body ache.

The hospitals have been asked to isolate people having symptoms of swine flu and send their samples to IPM here.

According to the government, there is no need for panic as it has adequate supply of medication and testing kits.