Swine flue under control: Azad

BHUBANESWAR: The swine flu seems to be under control in the country according to union health and family welfare minister Ghulam Nabi Azad.

Mr Azad claimed here on Thursday that swine flu is ���fully��� under control in India.

���Out of total 35 cases of swine flu detected so far, 12 have been treated successfully and the patients have returned home. The rest are undergoing treatment and will return home within a week,��� he told reporters here.

Mr Azad who was here to attend a meeting of the state Congress leaders to ascertain causes of party���s debacle in the recent Assembly and Lok Sabha polls in Orissa, however, said situation is quite alarming in other countries like USA, Australia and Japan.

Out of the total 18,000 swine flu affected people in USA, 45 died till date. Similarly, out of 3000 cases detected in Japan, four succumbed to the disease.

He said the Centre has taken precautionary measures to prevent swine flu from taking an epidemic form in the country. All the international airports and sea ports have been under alert.

Mr Azad claimed that the country is well prepared to check the disease. ���We have procured 10 million doses of medicine to prevent swine flu. Besides we have formed rapid response teams at national and state levels to respond to the situation,��� he said.

There are two swine flu testing centers at Delhi and Pune at present. The Centre has decided to open 16 more such centers across the country.

He said the health ministry had issued advisory to Indian citizens to avid trips to the countries where the disease has intensified.