Dr. K.S. Ajayakumar, the District Surveillance Officer (DSO), on Sunday, said that one person had died of Influenza A (H1N1) in the district. This is the first confirmed death in the district from H1N1, he said.
A. Velayudhan, 54, of Alunkal at Ambalavayal died at Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode on Sunday morning. He was admitted to a private hospital with flu like symptoms on Monday and he was referred to District Hospital at Mananthavadi on Thursday with Viral Pneumonia. Knowing the critical stage of the patient, the doctors referred him to Medical college hospital on the same day.
A few weeks ago a suspected death owing to H1N1 had been reported from the district but it was not confirmed so far, Dr. Ajayakumar said. Though as many as 43 H1N1 positive cases had been reported from the district so far, most of them were recovered, he added.
Two patients among them have been quarantined in the district hospital and four suspected patients are under medical observation, Dr. Ajayakumar said.
The district health authorities have taken all the measures to curb the spread of the disease and the District Medical Officer has directed the concerned medical staffs to conduct survey in Ambalavayal area to asses the present situation.
An isolation ward has been set up in the district hospital and screenings and tests are functioning in full swing. Apart from this, 13 screening centres, including 10 centres under government sector and 3 centres under private sector, have been functioning systematically in the district, he added.
