The death toll due to A(H1N1) influenza in Kalaburagi has risen to four with two more deaths, including that of a three-year-old girl, according to District Health and Family Welfare Officer Mohammad Zakir Ansari.
Dr. Ansari said that while the first known A(H1N1) influenza victim Shantabahai Shamrao, of Kansur tanda in Chitapur taluk in Kalaburagi district, discharged herself against the medical advice from the government general hospital and died on February 19, Premsingh Bojraj, of Balunaik tanda also in Chitapur taluk, died in a private hospital on February 25.
The latest victims have been identified as Vijayakumar Malleshappa of Gajipur locality in Kalaburagi who died in the Basaveshwar Teaching and General Hospital on February 26 and three-year-old Prakurthi Chandrakant of Indira Nagar who died on February 27.
Dr. Ansari said that Vijayakumar Malleshappa (68) was staying in Gajipur locality in Kalaburagi to undergo dialysis treatment in a local hospital. In Prakurthi’s case it was a late diagnosis and the child was subjected to blood tests to confirm A(H1N1) influenza very late and did not respond to the treatment at a later stage.
He said that out of the 74 patients whose blood samples were sent to NIMHANS for confirmation of the disease, the results of the 39 samples were available and of which 16 samples turned out to be A(H1N1) influenza positive.
The results of the 35 other samples are yet to be received. Dr Ansari said that the disturbing factor was that there has been a spurt in the number of patients coming with the symptoms of the disease over the past few days.