Five swine flu cases confirmed in Karachi

City’s health director says citizens shouldn’t panic as disease not lethal 

Karachi

Five people were tested positive for H1N1 influenza or swine flu in Karachi on Saturday by a private diagnostic laboratory.

“Samples of five patients, received by a private diagnostic service, have tested positive for swine flu,” Karachi director health Dr Zafar Aijaz told The News.

“These five people were OPD patients and not admitted to any hospital in the city,” he added.

Over a dozen people, including women and children, have died of swine flu in Lahore, Multan and other cities of Punjab and many other patients suffering from the disease are under treatment.

The Sindh health department had put all its officials and hospitals in Karachi on high alert after cases were reported in Punjab and a day earlier, it had sought the World Health Organisation’s assistance in preventing a swine flu outbreak in the city.

However, Dr Aijaz said there was no need to panic as swine flu had a mortality rate of less than five percent.

“The disease is life-threatening only for elderly people and those with a weak immune system,” he added.

The Karachi director health urged the media not to create an “unnecessary” panic among the residents of the city and instead focus on creating awareness on preventive measures against the disease.

Awareness necessary

He said to prepare hospitals and health managers in dealing with an outbreak of swine flu in Karachi, his office and other health officials had started awareness sessions for medical superintendents, district and town health officers and paramedics and public awareness sessions too would be held next week.

“The spread of influenza can only be prevented with the help of public awareness. People should not use personal belongings of anyone with influenza, those suffering from flu should place their hand in front of their mouth while coughing and sneezing and regular hand-washing too helps in avoid being infected.”

The health department has sought H1N1 test kits and personal protection kits from the WHO for hospital staff. It has also instructed major public and private hospitals to set up isolation wards.

A doctor associated with a reputed diagnostic laboratory confirmed that they had received several samples of suspected H1N1 influenza patients and of them, five tested positive for the disease.

He said the laboratory staff had used the polymerase chain reaction technique to test the samples for the H1N1 virus. “In the absence of a virology laboratory in the country, it is the most effective technique to confirm a viral infection,” he added.

Experts dealing with viral diseases, especially influenza, said public places should be avoided as much as possible to avoid contracting the infection.

They said swine flu was not a lethal disease but the public should take precautionary measures, especially for children and elderly people.