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Swine flu scare spreads to rural Orissa
Satyasundar Barik
Two students of a tribal residential school test positive
BHUBANESWAR: This was the last thing that the Orissa government needed. Swine flu scare which has so far been limited to urban centres of the State has now surfaced in rural region.
Two suspected swine flu affected students staying in a tribal residential school in Sundargarh district have tested positive of H1N1 virus which has left health administrators clueless about source of spread of disease. This could be the first community spread of swine flu.
The incident happened in Jampalli Kanyashram under Rajgangpur block of Sundargarh district. Of total 387 students, 150 girls have been put under observation separately.
According to the 24-hour-control room constituted under State Health department for reporting swine flu spread, 17 girls have been admitted in Rajgangpur government hospital while 56 other girls have been isolated in their hostels.
They were taken care of by separate sets of attendants and doctors.
As many as 77 girls who showed symptoms of mild fever were also separated on the same campus, control room sources said.
?We don?t know as to how the girls who have been staying away from urban areas got affected. Case history of every girl will have to be looked into in detail before arriving at any conclusion,? State Health Surveillance Officer Vikash Patnaik told over phone from Sundargarh on Sunday.
Dr. Patnaik along with additional director of Health Services P. Sitaram rushed to Sundargarh to coordinate treatment as well as administrative steps to prevent the spread.
?We are now deeply concerned to trace 237 students who had left the hostel soon after fever among girls broke out. They are required to be put under observation,? said State Surveillance Officer. He, however, made it clear that the condition of none of the girls was serious. Five teams have been formed to detect girls who have left hostels earlier.
There are no adequate hospital facilities to deal with a situation in the event of swine flu spread to rural pockets. Health department sources said they could see only possibility by creating separate wards in colleges and schools and treat affected persons in isolation.
The State government recently updated district Collectors with a warning that swine flu could spread due to suitable conditions in winter season.
To date only one death has been reported from Orissa. A doctor who was hailing from Jharkhand, but working in Indira Gandhi General Hospital, Rourkela, died after being affected by H1N1 virus.
The State government has so far sent 70 samples to different centres outside the State. Of them nine have tested positive of H1N1 virus. These positive cases have been reported from places like Balasore, Paradip, Rourkela, Puri and Cuttack.
Satyasundar Barik
Two students of a tribal residential school test positive
BHUBANESWAR: This was the last thing that the Orissa government needed. Swine flu scare which has so far been limited to urban centres of the State has now surfaced in rural region.
Two suspected swine flu affected students staying in a tribal residential school in Sundargarh district have tested positive of H1N1 virus which has left health administrators clueless about source of spread of disease. This could be the first community spread of swine flu.
The incident happened in Jampalli Kanyashram under Rajgangpur block of Sundargarh district. Of total 387 students, 150 girls have been put under observation separately.
According to the 24-hour-control room constituted under State Health department for reporting swine flu spread, 17 girls have been admitted in Rajgangpur government hospital while 56 other girls have been isolated in their hostels.
They were taken care of by separate sets of attendants and doctors.
As many as 77 girls who showed symptoms of mild fever were also separated on the same campus, control room sources said.
?We don?t know as to how the girls who have been staying away from urban areas got affected. Case history of every girl will have to be looked into in detail before arriving at any conclusion,? State Health Surveillance Officer Vikash Patnaik told over phone from Sundargarh on Sunday.
Dr. Patnaik along with additional director of Health Services P. Sitaram rushed to Sundargarh to coordinate treatment as well as administrative steps to prevent the spread.
?We are now deeply concerned to trace 237 students who had left the hostel soon after fever among girls broke out. They are required to be put under observation,? said State Surveillance Officer. He, however, made it clear that the condition of none of the girls was serious. Five teams have been formed to detect girls who have left hostels earlier.
There are no adequate hospital facilities to deal with a situation in the event of swine flu spread to rural pockets. Health department sources said they could see only possibility by creating separate wards in colleges and schools and treat affected persons in isolation.
The State government recently updated district Collectors with a warning that swine flu could spread due to suitable conditions in winter season.
To date only one death has been reported from Orissa. A doctor who was hailing from Jharkhand, but working in Indira Gandhi General Hospital, Rourkela, died after being affected by H1N1 virus.
The State government has so far sent 70 samples to different centres outside the State. Of them nine have tested positive of H1N1 virus. These positive cases have been reported from places like Balasore, Paradip, Rourkela, Puri and Cuttack.
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