‘There’s nothing to fear, we are ready to tackle swine flu’

The city is prepared to tackle swine flu. Passengers reaching the city from Mexico, United States, Canada, New Zealand, Spain, France, and the UK will be screened. “Anyone showing symptoms of the flu will be quarantined at the civic-run Kasturba Hospital for Infectious Diseases at Mahalaxmi,” Dr MR Jagtap, state nodal officer, said.
Jagtap said a person would be quarantined for six to seven days, which is double the incubation period. “Though the incubation period for the flu is three days, the suspected traveller would be isolated for double the period,” he said.

The flu strain that is found to be a peculiar mixture of swine, human and avian viruses, comes with symptoms of seasonal flu. A special control room too has been set up. Dr Jairaj Thanekar, the executive health officer of BMC, said chances of the virus being present in India was minimal.

“There is no scare of the virus in India. If at all we find symptoms, the patient would be treated as per protocol,” he said. According to World Health Organisation, the flu has affected about 1,200 people and killed 86.

“The drug to treat the flu may not be available in the market, but we have adequate quantity with us,” Dr DS Dakhure, the director of health services, Maharashtra, said. “The Centre has promised us help in terms of drugs, guidelines, experts, material logistics and laboratory support.”

Dr Ashish Chandra Dhariwal, the joint director of National Institute of Communicable Diseases in New Delhi, said all necessary precautions had been taken.