Six more swine flu cases in Pune

Six more students tested positive for swine flu on Saturday, taking the total count to 42.

Five students are from the Symbiosis School, while the sixth is a standard IX girl from the Jupiter division of New India School, located in Kothrud. 

Acting chief health officer of the Pune Municipal Corporation’s health department Dr RR Pardeshi said that a meeting between municipal commissioner Mahesh Zagade, the authorities and the principals would be called on Sunday to decide whether the New India School should be closed to prevent further spread of the infection.

So far, three schools — Abhinava Vidyalaya, Symbiosis and Sevasadan schools have been shut till August 2.         

State health department in-charge for H1N1 Dr Pradeep Awate told DNA that three of the five victims from Symbiosis School are girls. The school has seven students who have tested positive.

Health officials suspect that the viral infection may have spread to students from other schools after they attended an educational programme organised before the July 22 total solar eclipse. “We suspect that an infected student in the crowd may have spread it to others at the event,” Awate said.

“Many schools from Pune attended the programme, and there could be some students from the Abhinava Vidyalaya English Medium High School, who later tested positive for H1N1,” Awate said.

On Saturday, six of the samples sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) tested positive. A senior KG student from the Sevasadan School had tested positive for H1N1 on Thursday. According to Awate, two other suspected cases have been admitted at the Aundh civil hospital’s isolation ward. “Their throat and nasal swabs have been sent to NIV and the results are awaited.”

Dr MS Nagare, civil surgeon at the Aundh Civil Hospital said both the suspected cases have a travel history to the UK and have reported flu like symptoms. TV, magazines at isolation ward Director-general state health services Dr DS Dakhure on Saturday visited the isolation ward of the Naidu Hospital, and suggested that a television set be installed in the ward and the patients be provided magazines and newspapers to help them ward off  boredom and loneliness.