NRI tests positive for H1N1 influenza

A 41-year-old NRI,quarantined at the civic-run Kasturba Hospital,tested positive for H1N1 influenza on Wednesday. This is the city’s eighth and the state’s 12th positive case.

The NRI arrived in Mumbai on Tuesday morning and got himself admitted after he complained of headache,dry cough and mild fever. “He flew to Mumbai from Los Angeles vi a Singapore,” said Dr Pradeep Awate,who is heading the state health department’s influenza cell. “The patient was put on Tamiflu and was doing better today,” said Dr Umesh Aigal,medical superintendent at Kasturba Hospital. Efforts are on to trace all those seated two rows in front and at the back of the person and also his acquaintances,whom he visited in Powai. They will be given a mild dose of Tamiflu.

Kasturba Hospital also admitted another flier—a 30-year-old resident of Asamghar who had returned after visiting Riyadh and Bahrain on Wednesday morning. “He admitted himself to Kasturba Hospital after complaining of cough,” said Awate. On Wednesday late evening two others were isolated at Pune’s Naidu Hospital. Throat swabs of all the three have been sent to National Institute of Virology in Pune.

Meanwhile,monsoon diseases in the city are on a rise. The state-run,BMC and private hospitals on Wednesday admitted 146 new cases of fever,57 gastroenteritis,one suspected case of leptospirosis and dengue each and 47 suspected cases of malaria. No deaths were reported.