Second Swine Flu patient detected

Parents test negative:

Rasika SOMARATHNA

Health authorities said yesterday that a second confirmed case of Swine Flu had been detected in the country. The new patient has been identified as the brother of the first case detected on Tuesday.

Health Ministry, Epidemiologist Dr. Sudath Peiris said that the parents of the children had however tested negative for the virus. The residence of the family is closely monitored and has been quarantined, he added.

He also said that the health officials were in the process of testing other travelers who were on board the flight which the infected patients had taken from Singapore.

According to Dr. Peiris, 20 identified hospitals through out the country has presently been equipped with necessary drugs along with trained manpower to handle any suspected Swine Flu cases.

Preparations had been underway to face any possible outbreak of the disease in the country since Swine Flu made inroads on the world stage, he added. According to Dr. Peiris the public need not panic as authorities possessed necessary drugs to treat the disease.

In addition the possibility of death or concurrent complications due to the disease is limited, in comparison to other major killer infections.

Also Dr. Pieris said that Dengue Fever was more dangerous than Swine Flu, if one goes by the number of deaths against cases.

So far in Sri Lanka 139 deaths has been recorded out of around 10,000 positive Dengue cases. In comparison out of around 36,000 recorded Swine Flu cases from over 70 countries, only 163 deaths has been recorded.

Sri Lanka on Tuesday reported its first H1N1 Viral Swine Flu case detected in an eight-year-old boy who arrived from Australia over the weekend via Singapore. The patient who is living in Australia had arrived in Sri Lanka last Sunday, June 14 with his family of five.As the boy had been suffering from high fever and cough, the father had informed the Australian High Commission in Colombo, which later informed the Epidemiology Unit of the Health Ministry. The boy was thereafter admitted to the Infectious Diseases Hospital at Angoda. According to Epidemiologists the symptoms of Swine Flu include cough, irritation in the throat, body-pain and headache. Health authorities advise the public to contact the health authorities if any such symptoms are detected in a. patient. They are also advised to refrain from mingling with the public. Swine Flu has killed 163 people and infected nearly 36,000 so far globally. Most of the deaths are reported from Mexico and the United States. The WHO on June 11 raised the pandemic alert level from Phase 5 to Phase 6 as more and more countries have reported the cases of H1N1 flu.