New Delhi: Five people, including a 15-year-old boy, tested positive for swine flu on Tuesday, taking the total number of influenza A (H1N1) cases in India to 68, though 41 of them have already been discharged.
"Five new cases have been reported on Tuesday. Three are from Delhi and one each from Bangalore and Hyderabad," said a Health Ministry statement.
Delhi reported its sixth case of human-to-human transfer of the flu with the teenaged boy. He got the infection from a relative who was earlier detected with the influenza.
Also, the condition of a 64-year-old woman, who had contracted the flu from her son and was said to be in a serious state in a Delhi hospital, is now reported to be stable. However, she is still on ventilator.
"Of the 68 cases in the country, 41 have been discharged. Rest of them remain admitted to the identified health facility," said a health official.
In India, at least 504 people have been tested, of whom 68 had the A(H1N1) virus, the statement said.
A total of seven human-to-human transmission cases, including one from Hyderabad, have been reported.
According to the official, a 58-year-old woman, who travelled from the US aboard the Emirates Flight EK-512 to reach Delhi June 19, reported June 21 that she was suffering from flu-like symptoms. "She was found to be infected with the virus Tuesday," the official said.
A 23-year-old woman, who travelled from Canada to New Delhi on June 17 by Jet Airways Flight DW-229, also reported to an identified health facility on June 21 with complaints of fever, cough, sore throat, body ache and abdominal pain, the official said.
A 25-year-old man, who travelled from the US to Bangalore by the Air India Flight 144 on June 22, "was detected at the airport during screening and shifted to identified hospital", the official added.
The fifth case is of a 30-year-old woman who came from the US via Kuwait by the KU 102/371 flight and reached Hyderabad June 15. On June 21, she reported to an identified health facility with symptoms of fever, cold and sore throat.
Officials said of the 504 cases tested so far, 148 were identified through screening at the airports, 21 through contact tracing and the rest had reported themselves.
According to Delhi Health Minister Kiran Walia, 134 samples have been tested in the capital till Monday, of which 24 have been found to be infected with the virus. The figure, however, jumped to 27 Tuesday.
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The 64-year-old woman, who continues to be monitored in a city hospital in Delhi, was tested positive June 17 and shifted to the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital.
As she is said to have a chronic respiratory illness, her condition deteriorated on Sunday and later she was put on ventilator.
In Goa, two suspected swine flu cases were reported on Tuesday. A woman and her son had come from the US to Goa June and were quarantined at home after they displayed symptoms of swine flu.
"The duo reported swine flu-like symptoms during their stay here following which their samples were taken and they have been quarantined at home," said state epidemiologist Rajendra Tamba, who is also Goa's nodal officer for swine flu.
Meanwhile, screening continues at all international airports in India. The Health Ministry said 224 doctors and 112 paramedics are manning 77 counters at these airports and a total of 228,2677 passengers have been screened.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), about 52,160 laboratory confirmed cases of swine flu have been reported from 99 countries till June 22. A total of 231 deaths have been reported, most of them in Mexico and the US.
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