Swine flu: One susected case quarantined in TN

A syspected case of ‘swine-flu’ was quarantined today in the textile city of Coimbatore, nearly 500 km west of Chennai, after the patient, a passenger from Sharjah flying into that city, reported frequent fever and cough.

A syspected case of ‘swine-flu’ was quarantined today in the textile city of Coimbatore, nearly 500 km west of Chennai, after the patient, a passenger from Sharjah flying into that city, reported frequent fever and cough.

HT Image

The passenger, a mason (name withheld on request by the Authorities) reached Coimbatore airport this morning, but was taken to the ‘quarantine place’ on the advice of the airport’s medical officer, the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital Dean, Dr. Kumaran, told HT over the phone late this evening.

“The mason, in the form given by the flight crew before landing to ascertain details about every passenger’s recent medical history had mentioned fever and cough on and off, prompting the Airport Medical Officer to refer him for being quarantined as a matter of abundant caution following the outbreak of swine-flu”, Dr. Kumaran said.

The Dean said there was no cause for worry or panic. The mason had come to visit his family in a village near Coimbatore. Samples of the patient’s blood, throat swab and nasal swap, as required under the International procedures, were taken and have been air-lifted to the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD), New Delhi.

Dr. Kumaran said most probably the patient suffered from ordinary fever and would be discharged once the NICD reports confirm negative results for swine-flu. Two other patients in Coimbatore, including an MBA student from New Jersey, USA, who came home for a holiday and his mother, who were also suspected to be carrying the disease symptoms, had tested negative as certified by the NICD and have been discharged from the hospital a few days back, Dr. Kumaran added.