Ranchi: Three Persons With No Travel History Test Positive For Swine Flu

These patients do not have any long travel history and looks like the disease is spreading in local community, medical director of the hospital said.

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New Delhi: Three persons tested positive for H1N1 flu, commonly known as swine flu, in a hospital in Jharkhand capital Ranchi, news agency PTI reported. According to the report, the three of them are undergoing treatment at Bhagwan Mahavir Medica Superspeciality Hospital, and two more patients, with the suspected respiratory disease have been identified and their test reports are expected to come on Monday.

Among the three patients are a 37-year-old woman from Ranchi, a 56-year-old woman from Dhanbad and a 70-year-old man from Purulia in West Bengal, the hospital authority said.

"The patients underwent Covid test but they turned out to be Covid negative. We had a doubt as they were having viral infection. Then, we decided for H1N1 examination and they tested positive," PTI quoted Dr Vijay Mishra, medical director of the hospital, as saying.

These patients do not have any long travel history and looks like the disease is spreading in local community, he said.

Mishra further said that samples of two more patients being examined, their reports are expected on Monday.

"Major concern is patients are coming with Covid symptoms. They are being examined. When their results come negative, they are sent back to home. The symptoms of Swine flu are similar to COVID-19. So, my advice is if a patient comes with Covid symptoms and turns negative with the disease, he/she should go for H1N1 test. Otherwise, it may spread in community," he added.

According to Mayo Clinic, “The H1N1 flu, commonly known as swine flu, is primarily caused by the H1N1 strain of the flu (influenza) virus. H1N1 is a type of influenza A virus, and H1N1 is one of several flu virus strains that can cause the seasonal flu. Symptoms of the H1N1 flu are the same as those of the seasonal flu."

Symptoms of Swine Flu are similar to a seasonal flu and they include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, stuffy or runny nose, headache, chills and fatigue.