20 samples taken so far tested negative for swine flu

39,315 passengers screened in India: No swine flu

New Delhi: The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Wednesday said that samples of 20 persons had been tested and found negative for Influenza H1N1. It also said that the samples of three persons - two from Hyderabad and one person from Jalandhar - are under test. A ministry release said that so far 39,315 passengers have been screened, of which around 5987 passengers were from affected countries. The release said 165 doctors and 86 paramedics have been deployed to man 67 counters at 21 airports around the country. The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported 1516 laboratory confirmed cases of influenza A/H1N1 infection with 30 deaths from twenty-two countries. There are 403 laboratory confirmed human cases in USA with one death. Mexico has reported 822 cases including 29 deaths. The other countries which have reported laboratory confirmed cases with no deaths are: Austria (1), Canada (165), China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (1), Colombia (1), Costa Rica (1), Denmark (1), El Salvador (2), France (4), Germany (9), Guatemala (1), Ireland (1), Israel (4), Italy (5), Netherlands (1), New Zealand (6), Portugal (1), Republic of Korea (2), Spain (57), Switzerland (1) and the United Kingdom (27). The ministry has also issued a press advisory informing the public that the retail sale of Oseltamivir phosphate is not permitted in India . It said chemists are not authorized to sell it and the indiscriminate use of this drug by the public could result in the virus developing resistance to this only known treatment of the H1N1 influenza. It said that the Government of India is maintaining adequate stockpiles of this drug that shall be distributed free through the public health network in case of need to the confirmed cases of the disease.
-May 6, 2009

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