Mother, son test negative for H1N1 flu
Health department officials in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka heaved a sigh of relief after the National Institute of Communicable Diseases inNew Delhi confirmed that samples of the 26-year-old boy and his mother quarantined in Coimbatore had proved negative for H1N1 flu.The MBA student from New Jersey and his mother were quarantined at the Government Coimbatore Medical College Hospital after they showed symptoms of the flu. On Monday, health officials here alerted the Bangalore corporation about the 26-year-old who had travelled from the United States to Bangalore via Dubai with a sore throat and body pain and disembarked at Bangalore international airport on May 11, staying on in the city.
After returning to Coimbatore, the student showed symptoms of the disease. His mother also displayed symptoms of the flu. They were quarantined in a ward. Meanwhile, officials from New Delhi told the health department that their blood samples had proved negative and that they could be released from quarantine.
"We will be discharging them today. The six people kept under residential quarantine in the city have also been asked to leave as they have shown no symptoms of the disease," director of public health Dr S Elango said.Health department officials today said they have so far screened passengers from 907 flights. While 769 flights had landed at Chennai international airport, 39 flights landed in Coimbatore and 99 in Tircuhi."There were 1.13 lakh passengers screened at the airport and 2,764 crew members at the sea port," he said.
