Pune, August 07: The city of Pune is fast emerging as the epicenter of swine flu outbreak in the country, with two more patients reported to be critical and on ventilator support on Friday.
The two patients – a 36-year-old Ayurveda doctor and a 35-year-old pharmacist – have both tested positive for swine flu or H1N1 influenza A virus and are admitted to government-run Sassoon General Hospital. Both are in critical but stable condition, doctors said. A definite report on their condition is expected later in the day, they added.
The World Health Organisation has already declared the swine flu outbreak as a global pandemic.
India’s first death from the virus too was reported in this city, which has of sorts led to panic here with people thronging to hospitals to get themselves tested for the virus as a precautionary measure. The government has, however, assured that there was nothing to panic and that everything was under control of the civic authorities.
However, the number of positive cases has been rising steadily here and the total currently stands at 129.
The 35-year-old pharmacist had tested positive at a private hospital last night but was later shifted to the Sassoon General Hospital. The Ayurveda doctor was directly admitted to Sasoon.
Elsewhere, two cases have been reported in Delhi and NCR. While a sixth-class student at Delhi’s Sanskriti School tested positive for the virus, one from Noida’s Amity University too has been diagnosed with swine flu.
Sanskriti School has been closed following the positive test result.
–Agencies