Boy, 6, tests positive for swine flu

[Arkanoid Legent]

A six-year-old Durban boy has tested positive for Novel Influenza A (H1N1), previously known as swine flu.

The child, his father and his sister were admitted to a Chatsworth hospital on Sunday and immediately placed in isolation as a precaution.

A Chatsmed Gardens Hospital spokeswoman, Leanne Nyiri, said only the boy had tested positive. His father's results were expected to be released on Friday.

The trio had flu-like symptoms, but the children's mother was not in hospital as she had not been affected.

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=125&art_id=vn20100917043202236C238136

 

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Re: Boy, 6, tests positive for swine flu

Durban swine flu family back home

Despite being discharged from hospital on Friday, the Chatsworth family - who refused to be identified - is still not in the clear. They still await the father's results, which will be released next week.

Last year, South Africa recorded more than 90 swine flu-related deaths.

The boy's 10-year-old sister, who also presented with severe flu symptoms, was cleared of the virus, while their mother remained unaffected.

The mother, who works at a private hospital in Durban, said her husband, who is also a hospital worker, was the first in the family to present with severe flu-like symptoms last Friday.

"He felt terrible. But I never thought it would be serious. I later received a call from the school my daughter attends saying she was unwell. They had critically unstable body temperatures."

A day later, she battled to stabilise her six-year-old son, who was also feverish.

The family was then admitted to a local hospital, where they were kept in isolation, after the son tested positive for the virus.

The woman said she was relieved that her family had responded to the treatment and had returned home.

"I am grateful that God has seen me through this tough time and that my family are well," she said, adding that the community had treated them insensitively.

Hospital spokesman Leanne Nyiri confirmed that the boy tested positive for the H1N1 virus, adding that the results for the father were not yet available.

"The family has responded well to treatment, are in a stable condition and (have been) discharged," said Nyiri.

Head of epidemiology at the National Institute of Communicable DiseasesDr Lucille Blumberg said experts were not concerned about the H1N1 virus, which had become part of a seasonal influenza.

http://www.timeslive.co.za/sundaytimes/article665717.ece/Durban-swine-flu-family-back-home