First swine flu case detected in Visakhapatnam

The first swine flu positive case was detected in Visakhapatnam city on Wednesday.

According to DMHO Dr. J. Sarojini, a housewife in her early 30s, tested positive and was put into isolation at a private hospital for treatment.

“She tested positive in her first test on Tuesday, but we were waiting for confirmation in the second test, and she tested positive. We have already begun the treatment and she is said to be stable,” informed the DMHO to

The Hindu .

According to her, the woman who is susceptible to cold and cough has been suffering from cold for the last 15 days. She initially was treated for sinusitis and was even admitted to a hospital, but as she was not responding to treatment a test was conducted for influenza A HIN1 virus, and she tested positive in both the tests.

Since this is the season for the spread of the virus, district administration has set up 11 screening centres with the Government Hospital for Chest and Communicable Diseases serving as the nodal centre.

According to Dr. Sarojini, people need not panic, as sufficient medicines have been stocked up and each of the screening centres has been provided with isolation wards.

In 2015, Visakhapatnam district registered 44 positive cases and 3 deaths due to the swine flu. In 2014, two people died of swine flu in Visakhapatnam district and there were no reported cases in 2016.

Some of the screening centres are Government Hospital for Chest and Communicable diseases, KGH, INS Kalyani, Vizag Steel Hospital, Port Golden Jubilee Hospital, East Coast Railway Hospital and community health centres in Narsipatnam, Araku and Paderu.