Nine students quarantined with symptoms of swine flu

"We have admitted as many as nine students, who have just returned from America, in the isolation ward of civil hospital after they complained of fever and sore throat. Their blood samples have been sent to Delhi for tests," Dr S S Walia, Civil Surgeon of Civil Hospital said.

The nine were part of a group of 30 students and three teachers who had gone to an education trip to NASA in the USA.

One of the students in the group on Sunday tested positive for the virus and has been hospitalised in Delhi.

The blood samples of these nine students have been sent to the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD), New Delhi last night and the report is expected to reach tonight, added Dr Walia.

Four of the students have been sent home after medical check up, Nodal Officer on Swine Flu and Project Director of Integrated Disease Surveillance Project (IDSP), Deepak Bhatia said, adding they have been given medicines and told not to venture out.

Others who complained about fever include two from Kapurthala and one each from Bhatinda, Hoshiarpur and Ropar and one from Kangra in Himachal Pradesh, Bhatia said.

A R Talwar, Principal Secretary (Health), Punjab said there were six other persons from Punjab who came in contact with the Jalandhar students. The six belonged to the districts of Bathinda, Hoshiarpur and Kapurthala and accordingly medical experts of these districts have been informed to conduct medical tests on them.

He said a team of four doctors from NICD will arrive here soon to analyse the situation and if needed, give special training to the local doctors to tackle the virus.

In order to conduct an extensive survey of those who came in contact with the suspected swine flue affected students, seven teams of doctors have been formed, who would conduct a thorough survey and make a case history of such persons.

As many as 150 special testing tubes have also been provided to the Jalandhar civil hospital to deal with the situation.

Special counters have been set up at the international borders of Wagah and Hussainiwala to check suspected cases of the disease.

A special helpline with toll free number (1075) has also been set up in Jalandhar, where any private doctor or any person can report any suspected case of swine flue, he added.