Three doctors among those infected with H1N1 flu

About three doctors treating patients with Influenza A (H1N1) have been tested positive for the flu in three different hospitals in Bengaluru.

The doctors may have contracted the infection from the patients who had severe symptoms of influenza.

One of the doctors from a government hospital said he came to work with a severe cold and by the end of the day developed a high fever and was unable to carry on with his work.

His colleague suggested him to send his swab samples for testing, which returned positive for H1N1 flu.

“I had seen a few patients in the out-patient department and knew that some had the severe form of flu. After my swab results came out, I realised how I got the infection," the doctor said.

"It is a first-hand experience for me to go through the symptoms of the infection I am treating. The infection besides having the severe form of fever and cold also had myalgia. It has been a week, and even now I have mild myalgia and cough. The symptoms are sometimes unbearable,” the doctor added.

Two other doctors from government hospitals have also been tested positive for H1N1 flu. Among the two, one of the doctors had co-morbid conditions and was hospitalised for a few days.

Dr C Nagaraja, Director of Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases (RGICD), said though H1N1 flu is a contagious infection, it can still be prevented.

"One of the ways of contracting infection is if a person inhales the droplets of an infected person. One will not contract the infection by walking into an H1N1 flu ward, however certain basic preventive measures like washing hands and maintaining hygiene can help curb the spread of the infection," he added.