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Man with swine flu symptoms quarantined

June 08, 2009 21:02 IST

A passenger, who arrived at the Bengaluru International Airport from Netherlands with suspected symptoms of the H1N1 flu, has been quarantined, a top health official said on Monday.

"The passenger, who arrived at BIA from Netherlands via Frankfurt late on Sunday night, has been quarantined at the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases," Usha Vasunkar, director of Health & Family Welfare Services, said.

The man's throat culture samples have been sent to the National Institute of Virology in Pune and the report is expected in another two to three days, she said.

"So far (from April 29 to June 7), throat culture samples of 15 H1N1 suspect cases, which were sent to Pune from here, have tested negative," Vasunkar said.

In all, 1,18,374 passengers have been screened in the state at BIA and Mangalore airports since April 29, she said.

Though 13 hospitals, including private ones, were asked by the government to be prepared to tackle H1N1 flu patients, "at present, suspect cases are being quarantined only at the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases," Vasunkar added.

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