The death toll due to the H1N1 virus attack in Kalaburagi district has risen to four with two more deaths, including that of a three-year-old girl reported on February 26 and 27, according to District Health and Family Welfare Officer Mohammad Zakir Ansari.
Dr Ansari said while the first known H1N1 victim Shantabahai Shamrao of Kansur Tanda in Chitapur taluk in Kalaburagi district who discharged herself against the medical advise from the government general hospital died on February 19, Premsingh Bojraj of Balunaik Tanda also in Chitapur taluk had died in a private hospital on February 25.
The latest victims to the virus were Vijayakumar Malleshappa of Gajipur locality in Kalaburagi city who died in the Basaveshwar Teaching and General Hospital on February 26 and three year old girl Prakurthi Chandrakant of Indiranagar who died on February 27.
Dr Ansari said while Vijayakumar Malleshappa (68), originally hailed from Kountana in Bidar district was staying in Gajipur locality in Kalaburagi city to undergo dialysis treatment in a local hospital. In the case of Prakurthi, it was a late diagnosis and the child was subjected to blood tests to confirm the H1N1 very late and did not respond to the treatment at a later stage.
To a question, He said that out of the total 74 suspected 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 H1N1 positive. The results of the 35 other samples were 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 in the last few days.
He said that the isolation wards have been established in the Government General Hospital and the Basaveshwar Teaching and General Hospital for providing treatment to the patients with H1N1. Except for the four patients succumbing to the disease all other 12 confirmed patients have successfully responded to the treatment and have been discharged. Although there was no shortage of Tamiflu tablets, the Tamiflu vaccines were not available in the government hospital.
