Bangalore, Aug 17 (DHNS): A 27-year-old woman, identified as Shilpa Hegde, became the first victim of A(H1N1) virus in the State after confirmation. Shilpa, the fifth casualty in Bangalore, died at St John’s Hospital on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the State reported 19 fresh positive cases of A(H1N1) influenza on Sunday, taking the total number of positive cases to 160.
The condition of a 30-year-old woman and an eight-year-old girl, who are undergoing treatment at RGCID and Victoria Hospital, respectively, in Bangalore is stated to be critical.
Health Commissioner Srinivasachari said the government was trying its best to curtail the spread of the virus. “Private hospitals are co-operating. We cannot expect more than that, as we cannot instruct them to admit all patients,” he said.
Shilpa, a resident of Malleshwaram, had fever and breathlessness when she was admitted to hospital on August 10. The doctors shifted her to ICU and put her on ventilator as her condition deteriorated. “We put her on Tamiflu the day she got admitted and took throat swab sample for A(H1N1) and sent it to Nimhans,” said Dr George D’Souza, Medical Superintendent, St John’s Hospital. The hospital got the swab report three days before her death.
Shilpa was one of the serious cases reported by Deccan Herald on Saturday.
The doctors have recorded her death as due to acute respiratory distress syndrome. According to them, she had no known history of contact with infected patients. However, reports from the Health Department stated that Shilpa was admitted to hospital on August 12, and that her swab report came on July 14. She was given Tamiflu on August 13.
Although the hospital has asked Shilpa’s family to take Tamiflu, Dr D’Souza said: “It is the BBMP’s job to give prophylaxis tablets. I have tablets only for patients at our hospital.”
Three fresh cases were tested positive for A(H1N1) influenza in Udupi, taking the total number of the confirmed cases in the district to 13.
Three more were added to the suspected list on Sunday. Udupi DHO Dr Ramachandra Bayari said that the three suspected cases on Saturday had tested positive for the influenza.