There were 16 cases of swine flu and two reported death cases in the state between 2016 to 2017. He speculated that the deceased patient may have been infected by an infected individual from outside Manipur when he attended a religious festival, few months back.
Manipur’s director Health & Family Welfare Services, Dr. K. Rajo announced that an 18 years old youth succumbed to H1N1 or swine flu. The deceased hailed from Kshetrigao constituency in Imphal east district.
The Health and Family Welfare Services director further said there is no need to panic as the state is equipped with testing facilities for early diagnosis to prevent swine flu fatality rates. The doctor added that the state has enough medicine stocks to prevent any outbreak.
Revealing details of the swine flu victim, Rajo said that the youth was admitted at a privately run hospital in Imphal called Advanced hospital on July 2. Later the patient was rushed to Guwahati at the Rahman hospital on July 9 where he was diagnosed with swine flu by the Dispur hospital on July 13. He succumbed on July 15.
Dr. Sasheekumar Mangang, additional director of health informed that there were 16 cases of swine flu and two reported death cases in the state between 2016 to 2017. He speculated that the deceased patient may have been infected by an infected individual from outside Manipur when he attended a religious festival, a few months back.
Dr. Vikram who is part of the surveillance team of the state reported there are identified cases of mild coughing and fever among the people with whom the deceased had close contact with. He further informed these identified cases were quarantined and given doses of anti-H1N1 antibodies. “As part of the precautionary measures, ASHA in the affected area have been instructed to spread swine flu awareness and report any suspected cases to the surveillance team,” Dr Vikram said.
H1N1 is an airborne disease, seasonal influenza. It can spread from person to person, through coughing, sneezing and direct contact including handshaking, hugging and kissing.
People who suffer from Hepatitis, kidney and liver disease, diabetic patients, HIV infected persons and people with weak immune system are prone to be infected by the virus. It has three stages of symptoms which includes mild fever and sore throat, followed by high fever, muscle and joint pains along with vomiting, diarrhoea and finally intense persistent fever as the last stage.