POKHARA, Aug 4: The H1N1 influenza virus, commonly known as the Swine flu virus, has claimed three lives in Pokhara and two in IIlam while many have fallen sick throughout the country.

The hospital at Gandaki Medical College (GMC), Pokhara, had referred two patients to the Kathmandu-based Grande Hospital but unfortunately, both of them died. Similarly, another patient succumbed to her illness while undergoing treatment in the ICU of Green City Hospital, Kathmandu.

A few days ago, 29 years old Lochan Bk of Pokhara, Majheripatan, died of swine flu in Grande Hospital and on Wednesday another women undergoing treatment died in the same hospital. These patients were at first admitted to GMC, Pokhara for treatment as they had common cold, fever, headache and difficulty in breathing which resembled the symptoms of the H1N1 viral influenza.  

Similarly, in Jhapa two women died of the virus. As informed by the District Public Health Office (DPHO), Anita Devi Mittal, 36, of Birtamod Municipality-4 and Manisha Agrawal, 46, of Birtamod-1 lost their lives due to the virus. 

Immediately after their death, the DPHO formed an investigation team under the leadership of Dr Duryodhan Yadav. The hospital’s reports and information provided by the family members proved that both of them had died of swine flu.  

A month ago, Mittal was taken to India after high blood pressure. She was later admitted to Apollo hospital after she was found to have lungs-related problems. Later, a team of 18 doctors concluded that she was infected with the H1N1 virus after 72 hours. She breathed her last on July 16. Likewise, Agrawal was referred to Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Center by BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences after suspecting that she had cancer. Later she was taken to another hospital where it was proved that she had swine flu. She breathed her last on July 30 while undergoing treatment.

DPHO Jhapa has also urged the locals to be aware about their health. The office is also printing ten thousand booklets on the H1N1 virus which will be distributed soon.
According to Yam Baral, Vector Control Inspector at the DPHO, Kaski, the virus has been detected in as many as 202 people in Nepal till Wednesday while six have people died. Out of the six dead, three are from Kaski. 

A week ago, swine flu claimed three lives in Kathmadu. Those patients were from Lalitpur, Kathmandu and Syangja. As the number of patients suffering from the virus is increasing, Baral advises that people should be more cautious in hospitals. 

“It is a kind of common cold so one should use handkerchiefs while coughing and sneezing and its better not to walk in crowded areas,” Baral said. People with low immunity are likely to get infected by the virus and children below five and elderly people above 65 are more prone to the infection, he claimed. 

 Last Saturday, the Waling Primary health Centre of Syangja conducted a blood test of 20 patients and surprisingly six of them were infected with the virus. 

 
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