First suspected swine flu case in North Bengal

In the first suspected swine flu case in north Bengal, a youth has been admitted to North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH) here shortly after he returned from Pune.

Sudev Sarkar (27), a resident of Sukurpara of Jalpaiguri district, was referred to NBMCH by Jalpaiguri district hospital last night, Nodal Health officer DrRudra Bhattacharya told PTI today.

Sarkar fell sick with cough and fever at Pune where he had gone around one and a half month ago and got admitted to the Jalpaiguri hospital after return on August 7. While samples of his swab had been sent to Kolkata for tests, his wife and cousin Shyamal, who brought him to NBMCH, were also kept in isolation ward for observation despite not displaying any flu like symptoms.
    
Meanwhile, Principal of the Medical College, Dr Udayan Ganguly said NBMCH had already arranged for an eight-bedded ID(infectious disease) unit for treatment of suspected swine-flu cases and there was no scarcity of medicine and infrastructure at the moment.
    
Three persons have succumbed to the swine flu in Pune, the worst-hit Maharashtra city as the countrywide toll due to the deadly viral infection rose to six.