Twins die of dengue, 11 H1N1 deaths this year in Tamil Nadu

A boy and girl aged six, both twins, died on Monday due to dengue at a state-run hospital, taking the total number of deaths due to the disease to four this month in Tamil Nadu, health authorities said. A senior health official told PTI the total number of deaths due to H1N1 (swine flu) infection from October 1 till Monday, was four, including two from southern Tamil Nadu.

Between January 1 and October 22, 11 deaths were attributed to H1N1 and five to dengue, the official said. Director of Institute of Child Health and Hospital for Children, Dr A T Arasar Seeralar said the twins were admitted on Saturday, after five days of fever and following the manifestation of some 'dangerous' symptoms including vomiting. The children died in a gap of a few hours early this morning despite best treatment and care, he said.

"The boy died of dengue hemorrhagic shock and the girl due to dengue shock," he said. He said "Currently, 27 children, who have tested positive for dengue, are being treated at a special fever ward of the hospital," one of the biggest state-run hospitals and attached to the Madras Medical College. Earlier this month, a seven-year-old boy had died of dengue in the hospital.

Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan inspected the ICH and interacted with the patients and their parents. Speaking to reporters, the official said all measures have been taken to address the situation arising out of fever cases. To tackle dengue, he said source eradication of breeding sites of mosquitoes that cause the illness was being done by involving multiple government agencies.

Notices have been given by civic authorities to about 1,000 establishments to remove items like unused tyres and trash bins that could help breed mosquitoes. "Fever camps are being held across the state...416 mobile hospitals and 770 medical teams (in jeeps) are being deployed," he said. He urged people to get proper treatment at a government hospital "within the first 48 hours," of the manifestation of fever symptoms so as to avoid complications. All state run hospitals have proper treatment and diagnostic facilities, he said.

As of now, approximately 5-20 people were testing positive per day for H1N1 in Tamil Nadu and most get discharged following treatment for about five days, the official said. For dengue, 25-50 people per day get treatment from about 2,800 hospitals in the state, he said. He urged those visiting other states to get proper treatment on time if they have fever symptoms. About 1.5 lakh more vaccines were being procured apart from the currently available 50,000 for H1N1, he said.

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