H1N1 claims five lives, 2 in Tamil Nadu, 3 in Puducherry

The child, Sai Rakshan, died in a private hospital in Coimbatore early on Tuesday. The toddler is the second victim of the infection in this region. City Health Officer of Salem Corporation R Selvakumar told DTNext that the child suffered from viral pneumonia, multiple organ failure and also had H1N1. 

The victim from Ammapet was the second child of the couple Ganesh and Sangeetha. The family did not travel to any places where the virus was active. Officials suspect that the child could have contracted the infection locally. “The child was suffering from cold and fever from January 20,” a corporation health official said. 

Initially, the boy was treated at private hospital in his area and was under medication for four days. Since there was no sign of recovery, he was shifted to another private hospital in Salem, before he was referred to a private hospital in Coimbatore last Thursday. In Coimbatore, he tested positive to H1N1 and was under treatment. But, on Tuesday morning he breathed his last.  

In Pudukottai, sources said, S Suresh (32) of Athankarai Viduthi was affected with severe fever and he was rushed to a private hospital in Tiruchy where his blood samples tested positive for H1N1 virus. He was referred to the Tiruchy GH. However, Suresh died on the way to  hospital late on Monday night. 

Officials in the health department added that a one-and-a-halfyear-old girl Subasri of Erode tested positive to H1N1 and was undergoing treatment in the Government Super Speciality Hospital in Salem, on Tuesday. 

Meanwhile, Puducherry Health Minister Malladi Krishna Rao said that three persons have died among the 24 admitted to various hospitals in the Union Territory with symptoms of H1N1.