Five fresh cases of swine flu were reported in the city on Thursday,taking the total number of H1N1 cases to 56 here. Of the five cases reported,one is from Chandigarh,two from Yamunanagar in Haryana and two from Mandi Gobindgarh in Punjab. According to health officials,the Punjab and Haryana patients are quarantined at their places and the health departments of the states have been informed about them. A 19-year-old boy from Sector 22 has been admitted in the isolation ward at PGI. Three members of his family,including his parents and younger brother,are quarantined at their residence. The patients from Yamunanagar include a 26-year-old woman and her two-year-old daughter. The patients from Mandi Gobindgarh are a 24-year-old woman and her 9-month-old son. The two women are,in fact,sisters and the infection was most probably first got by the older sister,who resides in Bhav Nagar in Gujarat and had come to attend a wedding in Mandi Gobindgarh. Meanwhile,two fresh samples have been collected in the city on Thursday,which include those of a 26-year-old man from Sector 68 in Mohali and a 20-year-old boy from Amritsar. Increased susceptibility to H1N1 in winter,health dept modifies guidelines for childrenFresh guidelines have been issued by the Union health ministry for collecting samples and identifying symptoms in children,especially those up to the age of 5 years. The new guidelines elaborate the nature of symptoms to include more children in the category of suspects. These guidelines are based on recommendations of the Indian Academy of Paediatrics. Where testing is required to rule out H1N1: Children with influenza-like illnesses,who had severe disease as manifested by red flag signs. Red flag signs include somnolence (feeling sleepy),high persistent fever,inability to eat properly,convulsions and difficulty in breathing.
