A 16-year-old Sri Lankan boy has become the first person in the country to die of swine flu, doctors said on Sunday.
The victim, son of two doctors in Kandy, died on Wednesday night at Kandy Teaching Hospital, they said.
Meanwhile, the Medical Research Institute has confirmed that the death was caused by A(H1N1), the officials who declined to be identified said, the Sunday Times reported.
This was the first reported death in Sri Lanka of the global pandemic flu which was detected in the country in June, senior health officials have confirmed.
They, however, said that there is no cause for alarm and asked the people not to panic.
"This boy had other complications including spinal and lung problems which could have aggravated the illness and placed him in a high-risk category," the newspaper quoted an official as saying.
Health authorities have advised people to go to the nearest hospital if anyone has a persistent fever for more than two days and flu-like symptoms.
While most hospitals have geared up to handle flu cases, a few have consultants who have been issued anti-viral drugs to deal with such cases, an official said.
Up to October 15, more than 115 flu-affected people had been detected through the airport surveillance mechanism, the newspaper report said.
indiatoday
Sri Lanka's Epidemiology Unit of the Health Ministry today confirmed that the death of 16-year old boy in Kandy was due to the complications from the Influenza A-H1N1 commonly known as Swine Flu.
This is the first death reported in Sri Lanka due to the H1N1 since the first H1N1 flu case was reported on June 16. Over 100 patients have been detected with the flu since then.
According to the Chief Epidemiologist Dr. Paba Palihawadana, the child, whose both parents were doctors had an underlying chronic chest problem when he contracted the H1N1flu virus.
Education authorities closed 14 schools in the Kurunegala town indefinitely from Friday (06) after three children were found to be carrying the AH1N1 virus.
The Epidemiology Unit has set up sentinel units in twenty hospitals around the country with specially trained personnel to treat persons found to be positive with H1N1. The anti viral agent oseltamivir to treat the severe H1N1 cases is available only in sentinel hospitals.
colombopage
The victim, son of two doctors in Kandy, died on Wednesday night at Kandy Teaching Hospital, they said.
Meanwhile, the Medical Research Institute has confirmed that the death was caused by A(H1N1), the officials who declined to be identified said, the Sunday Times reported.
This was the first reported death in Sri Lanka of the global pandemic flu which was detected in the country in June, senior health officials have confirmed.
They, however, said that there is no cause for alarm and asked the people not to panic.
"This boy had other complications including spinal and lung problems which could have aggravated the illness and placed him in a high-risk category," the newspaper quoted an official as saying.
Health authorities have advised people to go to the nearest hospital if anyone has a persistent fever for more than two days and flu-like symptoms.
While most hospitals have geared up to handle flu cases, a few have consultants who have been issued anti-viral drugs to deal with such cases, an official said.
Up to October 15, more than 115 flu-affected people had been detected through the airport surveillance mechanism, the newspaper report said.
indiatoday
Sri Lanka's Epidemiology Unit of the Health Ministry today confirmed that the death of 16-year old boy in Kandy was due to the complications from the Influenza A-H1N1 commonly known as Swine Flu.
This is the first death reported in Sri Lanka due to the H1N1 since the first H1N1 flu case was reported on June 16. Over 100 patients have been detected with the flu since then.
According to the Chief Epidemiologist Dr. Paba Palihawadana, the child, whose both parents were doctors had an underlying chronic chest problem when he contracted the H1N1flu virus.
Education authorities closed 14 schools in the Kurunegala town indefinitely from Friday (06) after three children were found to be carrying the AH1N1 virus.
The Epidemiology Unit has set up sentinel units in twenty hospitals around the country with specially trained personnel to treat persons found to be positive with H1N1. The anti viral agent oseltamivir to treat the severe H1N1 cases is available only in sentinel hospitals.
colombopage
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