Health department on high alert for swine flu in Prayagraj division

A health department team visited the locality after receiving information about the case. The team carried out sanitisation and spraying in the surrounding area and made residents aware of preventive measures.

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Testing facilities and adequate testing kits are also available there. Residents have been advised to wear masks and avoid crowded places as a precaution (For representation only)

: The health department has sounded a high alert across the Prayagraj division after a case of H1N1 (swine flu) was detected in Kaushambi amid a rise in infections across Uttar Pradesh.

A woman from Daranagar village in Kaushambi tested positive for swine flu on August 20 and is currently undergoing treatment at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram. According to Kaushambi chief medical officer (CMO) Dr Sanjay Kumar, the woman fell ill on August 20 in the Miyan Ola locality of Daranagar. When she did not recover after local treatment, her family took her to Gurugram, where tests confirmed H1N1 infection. Her condition is stable, the CMO said.

A health department team visited the locality after receiving information about the case. The team carried out sanitisation and spraying in the surrounding area and made residents aware of preventive measures. Officials are also tracing the patient’s travel history and screening people who came in contact with her.

Kaushambi health authorities have increased surveillance and prepared a six-bed isolation ward at the district hospital. Testing facilities and adequate testing kits are also available there. Residents have been advised to wear masks and avoid crowded places as a precaution.

Across Uttar Pradesh, 364 swine flu cases had been reported till August 25, according to health department data. The health department and directorate general of Medical Health have placed hospitals in all 75 districts on alert. Officials have been directed to maintain close surveillance, ensure testing, and provide timely treatment to suspected and confirmed patients.

In Prayagraj district, no H1N1 case has been detected so far, CMO Dr AK Tiwari said. However, the district health administration has made arrangements as a precautionary measure.

A 10-bed isolation ward has been prepared at Tej Bahadur Sapru (Beli) Hospital, while a 40-bed facility has been kept ready at Swaroop Rani Nehru Hospital, the CMO said. Motilal Nehru Medical College principal Dr AK Verma said four teams had been formed in the pathology department to examine samples. RT-PCR testing facilities were already available and had been activated for suspected H1N1 cases.

The animal husbandry department has also issued an advisory to pig farmers in Prayagraj. Chief veterinary officer Dr SN Yadav said pigs could act as carriers of the swine flu virus, and more than 8,000 pigs were being reared at various pig farms in the district. Pig farmers have been advised not to allow pigs from one farm to enter another. They have also been asked to immediately inform the nearest veterinary hospital if any pig develops symptoms such as fever, officials said.