Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Man’s death not due to swine flu

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The National Institute of Communicable Diseases, New Delhi, in its report has confirmed that the death of Stanley Felis, 52, at a private hospital at Kottiyam in Kollam district recently was not due to A(H1N1) influenza.

Director of Health Services of Kerala K. Shylaja, who disclosed this here on Friday, said the cause of death was serious respiratory ailment. He was also suffering from hypertension, heart disease and diabetes.

Felis, who had arrived here from the U.K. on June 12, was admitted to the hospital for treatment of fever and cough on July 1. The DHS said though cases of A(H1N1) influenza had been reported from Kerala, the public need not panic as the Health Department had taken concerted steps to tackle it. A meeting of medical officers of various institutions, heads of departments and others concerned held at the DHS reviewed the situation and took steps to coordinate the preventive measures being taken against the fever. The meeting resolved to set up observation units in all districts.

Special Correspondent writes from Kannur: Two children of a woman who was quarantined with suspected symptoms of A(H1N1) influenza on arrival at the Karipur airport from Abu Dhabi on June 27 have tested positive for the flu.

Medical authorities said the relatives of the children, including their two siblings, were under medical observation for the past few days at a hospital in Kozhikode. Throat swabs and blood samples of three of them had been sent to the National Institute of Communicable Diseases in New Delhi for examination.

District Medical Officer Rajaram told The Hindu that persons who were in close contact with the family were administered Tamiflu drug as a prophylactic measure.

The DMO said there was no cause for panic, as no other case of infection had been reported here. He said the woman and her children were recovering from the infection. Passengers who had flown in with them from Abu Dhabi were also being monitored.

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