Srinagar, Feb 8: The state authorities Friday sounded a Swine Flu alert in Kashmir after more cases tested positive for the H1N1 virus at the Valley’s premier hospital, SK Institute of Medical Sciences, here. The institute recorded a death due to Swine Flu on past Monday.
“The virus was present in parts of a community and to prevent its spread our department has issued an advisory,” said authorities at the Division of Epidemiology and Public Health (DE&PH), Directorate of Health Services Kashmir.
The advisory, published in many local dallies, asked people to follow slew of measures to avoid the deadly viral infection.
According to sources, two more employees of SKIMS have tested “positive” for the swine flu virus. “Panic gripped the hospital after reports of two more employees being infected by H1N1 surfaced. The identified persons were asked to take rest at their homes and also undertake more examinations,” sources told Greater Kashmir.
The Director SKIMS Showkat Ahmad Zargar however said that there was no need to panic as the employees have “tested positive only for influenza A+.”
“After more examination, we can establish whether the patients are infected or not,” he said.
“We want to create general awareness to prevent spread of the virus. This is the reason why we issued the advisory,” said Dr SM Qadri, epidemiologist at DE&PH.
Dr Qadri said the common symptoms of the disease were high fever, running nose, sore throat and cough.
Another doctor said the infected people are treated with Tamiflu drug and the infection was treatable.
“Prevention is always better,” he said. “People must wash their hands often, avoid congested places. The patients with proven H1N1 infection must not cough or sneeze directly. They must use a tissue paper while they do so. Infected people should also not attend social functions and family members of the infected people must be constantly watched for H1N1 virus by carrying out tests on them.”
Meanwhile sources said SKIMS was lacking basic facilities for treatment of Swine Flu patients.  “It doesn’t have a separate ward to for such patients which in turn increases the risk of its spread as the disease is communicable,” a source said. “The hospital even lacks necessary masks for the staffers who treat the Swine Flu patients.”
Last Monday SKIMS employee died of Swine Flu.
In 2008-2009, J&K reported more than 50 cases of H1N1 virus which tested positive for the disease.  That time, authorities claimed the virus was carried by people coming from outside or the locals who returned back from outside.

Lastupdate on : Fri, 8 Feb 2013 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 8 Feb 2013 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sat, 9 Feb 2013 00:00:00 IST