A fresh swine flu (H1N1) case has been reported in the district following the hospitalisation of a 56-year-old man from Kisan Enclave, Khanna, at Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH). The patient, identified as Sanjeev Kumar, had recently returned from a pilgrimage to Naina Devi, where he had travelled as a kanwariya, and was admitted after developing pneumonia.
Cases were reported in both June and July. His wife and son, who were identified as close contacts, have been provided preventive medication, while a health department team has also completed a survey of the patient’s residential area. “We have started seeing cases, but the numbers are still very low. The development comes amid a wider increase in H1N1 infections in parts of the region. Health officials in Punjab have also issued preventive advisories across districts as cases have been detected in several places, including Patiala and Amritsar. The illness can initially resemble seasonal flu, with symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, body ache, headache and fatigue. Most infections are manageable, but some patients can develop complications such as pneumonia and breathing difficulty, particularly those at higher risk. “At present, the numbers are very low. We are taking preventive measures and monitoring the situation closely.
Delhi has reported a sharp rise in cases this year, with 1,344 H1N1 cases reported so far, according to a recent report. We are trying to control the spread at this stage itself so that the situation does not escalate.
Kumar’s condition is stable, according to health officials. Officials said there was no cause for concern in the locality so far. District epidemiologist Dr Surpreet Kaur said H1N1 cases had started appearing in the district over the past one to two months, although the numbers remained very low. Guidelines have been forwarded to health facilities, including instructions on the isolation and management of suspected cases,” she said. Dr Kaur said the immediate focus of the health department was to prevent the isolated cases from developing into a wider outbreak. If cases increase significantly, managing the load on the healthcare system can become difficult, so the effort is to contain transmission at this stage,” she said.
