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Commercial tax official dies of swine flu

BHUBANESWAR: A senior government official here died of swine flu taking the death roll in the current outbreak of the disease to five on Tuesday.

The victim was identified as Harihara Sethi (55), assistant commissioner of Commercial Tax.

Incidentally, his daughter who was showing symptoms of swine flu also tested positive. She was being treated in another private hospital with support of ventilator.

“Mr. Sethi had begun to show Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome and his lungs progressively did not function. He tested positive the day he was admitted,” said Paresh Jena, the doctor who treated him.

Sources said, Mr. Sethi had been suffering from cold for five to six days before being admitted in the hospital on August 5. Probably, during that time he had picked up H1N1 virus.

Close relatives of the victim were administered to Tamiflu doses.

During the day three more swabs were sent to Regional Medical Research Centre, where State's only testing facility was available. Sources said swab of a 48-year-old woman who hailed from Sambalpur district tested positive. Doctors did not find any swine flu symptoms in two persons from Bhubaneswar and Berhampur.

As per the Vikash Patnaik, who is heading State disease surveillance cell, as many 42 swabs came for testing and 16 of those tested positive while five persons died.

The State government is wary of the spread of swine flu to different areas. It is to be noted that five deaths have occurred during past 10 days. Despite State Health and Family Welfare department launching massive awareness campaign, the situation seemed to be turning worse by the day.

Awareness campaigns

Meanwhile, awareness campaigns on precautions with regards to swine flu disease were launched by independent organisations. Students of city-based DAV Chandrasekharpur Public school would perform street plays on Wednesday to make people aware of the oubtreak.

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