Swine flu outbreak in Assam, 13-month-old girl dies; several others hospitalised

May 06, 2024 04:48 PM IST

The victim developed a fever and severe cough on April 28 and was admitted to SK Roy Civil Hospital in Hailakandi the very next day

A sudden outbreak of the H1N1 flu (swine flu) claimed the life of a 13-month-old girl in Assam's Barak Valley, while several others have been admitted to the Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH) after contracting the disease, officials in the state health department said.

The victim developed a fever and severe cough on April 28 and was admitted to SK Roy Civil Hospital in Hailakandi the very next day, her family members said. On April 30, she was admitted to SMCH around 9pm and doctors took her swab sample through RT-PCR. On May 4, they confirmed that the infant was infected with the H1N1 virus.

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According to the Hailakandi district immunization and surveillance officer Dr K Thambalsana Rongmei, the girl's family members left SMCH without the doctor's advice and the infant passed away on the way home.

"She was admitted to the ICU in SMCH, and the doctors wanted to put her on ventilator because she was having breathing issues. But the family members forcibly took away and she died before reaching home," Rongmei said.

SMCH principal Dr Bhaskar Gupta said that in the last 15 days, they have detected at least five cases of H1N1 virus, and the baby was one of the patients.

"Her parents didn't co-operate and took her home in a critical condition. Of the other four patients, one is cured of the illness, and three others are getting treatment. We have adequate doctors and infrastructure to tackle more patients," Gupta said.

Rongmei on Monday told HT that a team of specialists visited the infant's house after her death. "We are keeping a strict vigil in that area to see if anyone develops symptoms of swine flu (H1N1). We are also spreading awareness across the district," she said.

Health department officials said they are using Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA), Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) and other frontline workers to examine if the virus has spread to other parts of the district.

"We are collecting daily reports and if any person is found having fever, cough or rashes, they are being advised to shift to hospitals," a senior health officer said.

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