Indian Oil Corp engineer tests positive for swine flu

CHANDIGARH: An engineer with Indian Oil Corporation's Panipat refinery has tested positive for swine flu.

The 29-year-old man, a resident of Sector 15 here, had returned from Canada after an official trip on July 26 and two days later he reported at PGIMER here with swine flu-like symptoms.

The engineer's throat and nasal swab samples were sent to National Institute of Communicable Diseases, New Delhi and he tested positive for H1N1, Chandigarh's Nodal Officer for swine flu, H C Gera, said on Saturday.

He said the patient was recuperating at the PGIMER. Three of his family members have been quarantined while the Haryana Health Department authorities have been asked to quarantine five more persons at Panipat who came in contact with him.

Chandigarh has so far reported 44 suspected cases of swine flu, out of which seven have tested positive.

In Haryana, out of a total of 155 suspected cases, 22 persons who had tested positive for the virus have been treated while five other cases from the state were still undergoing treatment at Delhi hospitals, officials said.

Meanwhile, Punjab has decided to approach the Centre to approve Government Medical Colleges at Amritsar and Patiala as swine flu test centres.