Re: India: swine flu spreads to Andhra Pradesh, 2 deaths reported
<arttitle>First in AP: 2 die of swine flu in city</arttitle>
<artdate>3 Sep, 2009 0157hrs IST</artdate> <artag>TNN</artag>
HYDERABAD: Andhra Pradesh reported its first swine flu deaths on Wednesday with two H1N1 infected patients succumbing to the illness. While 25-year-old Chiranjeet Prasad, a resident of Champapet and an attender with Chief Rationing Officer, succumbed to the virus on Tuesday night, 35-year-old T Malladri, a builder and a resident of Satyanarayan Nagar, Mehdipatnam, died on Wednesday.
Health officials confirmed that both patients were suffering from swine flu and attributed their death to pneumonia and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS).
In a tragic turn of events, swine flu victim Malladri?s wife, Shobha, also lost her life on Wednesday. Family members said Shobha collapsed on the staircase while she was rushing down when her dead husband?s body was being brought up from the ambulance. The couple lived on a second floor apartment and are survived by their three children.
Elaborating on the two swine flu deaths in the city, state health officials on Wednesday said that Chiranjeet Prasad was admitted to Chest Hospital on August 31 with severe respiratory problems and bilateral pneumonia.
?When he was brought to the hospital, his blood count had fallen considerably. We started the treatment but in spite of all the measures, his condition deteriorated. At 1.30 pm on Tuesday, he was put on ventilator and died at 9 pm due to Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS).?
Prasad had sought treatment fairly late into his illness, his co-workers said. ?He had been unwell for a while and had also taken leave. But he came to office last Wednesday (August 26) saying his fever had gone down. But, his condition deteriorated in office and he took some self medication,?? said Mohd. Ameeruddin, Prasad?s co-worker.
However, Prasad went to Chest Hospital only on August 31, five days after his fever had begun.
IAS officer and CRO D S Lokesh Kumar, where Prasad was an attender, said he was shocked by the death. After Prasad?s death the CRO office got in touch with health officials to find out if any other staff member was at risk.
?We were told that the incubation period for the flu is three days and if any staff member was infected, symptoms would have shown by Saturday (three days after Prasad last went to office). However, that is not the case. But we are still facilitating swine flu testing for our staff members,?? said D S Lokesh Kumar, CRO.
Malladri too was unwell since August 29 (Saturday) after he vomited twice at his construction site but took for a routine health problem and did not consult a doctor. On Sunday, he complained of pain in the chest and throat and even breathlessness.
He consulted a local doctor, who gave him an injection and prescribed some medicines. ?Late on Sunday (August 30) night, his condition deteriorated and his family members took him to Apollo hospital,?? a family member said. He tested positive for swine flu on September 1.
According to the Apollo Hospital authorities, he had suffered multi-organ failure. Health officials said that Malladri died at 12.15 am (Wednesday) at Apollo Hospital.
Meanwhile, three more people tested positive for swine flu on Wednesday taking the swine flu positive cases toll in the state to 198.
The condition of the 38-year-old woman admitted at the Chest Hospital, is critical, the doctors said. ?There has been no improvement in her condition since the day she was admitted. She is on the ventilator,? Dr Subhakar added.
?If the suspected cases should reach the hospital within 48 hours, they can be treated successfully for the virus. Besides, if people who have other diseases contract the infection, they are at a high risk,? the doctor said.
http://m.timesofindia.com/PDATOI/articleshow/4966115.cms
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