Swine flu alert in Srikakulam

Srikakulam: The health officials sounded swine flu alert in Srikakulam as the district registered eight positive cases so far. As per official statistics, the first case reported at Bathulapadu village in Itchapuram mandal and second case detected in Latchannapeta village in Jalumuru mandal. Both the patients got treatment at private hospitals in Visakhapatnam city. 

Another four cases were reported at Ramakrishnanagar, Kummariveedhi, Housing Board Colony and Dandiveedhi in Srikakulam. Another two cases detected at Visakhapatnam as the patients are belonging to Modalavalasa vilalge in Ponduru mandal and Ungarada in Regidi mandal on Saturday. 

In the wake of series of cases, the district medical and health officials sounded alert and started awareness camps across the district.  Isolated units arranged at government RIMS hospital, Srikakulam. “We have sent samples collected from suspected patients to Andhra Medical College micro-biology department, Visakhapatnam to detect the cases.

We have a preliminary testing facility for swine-flu at RIMS. But we sent samples again to Visakhapatnam for further confirmation,” said district medical and health officer Dr M Chenchayya.

We are testing all suspected cases at RIMS to detect the disease at early stage, said resident medical officer, RIMS, Dr Bammidi Chinna Appala Naidu. Collector K Dhanunjaya Reddy on Sunday directed the health officials to avoid swine-flu deaths by taking all preventive steps at early stage.