Jalandhar: More people have tested positive for swine flu in India as seven new cases of swine flu -- all students -- have now been confirmed in Jalandhar bringing the total number of those infected in the country to 30.
Seven high-school students of Guru Amardass Public School have been admitted to Jalandhar Civil Hospital, they had just returned from a two-week trip to NASA.
"It is possible they got it from the aircraft. Many people, even infected people, travel on the aircraft, and they touch TV screens," said Trilochan Singh, Principal, Guru Amardass Public School, Jalandhar.
One of the students got high fever when he got off at Delhi airport, he has tested positive for the N1H1 virus and had been quarantined there.
"He is better now, doctors say it will take day or two. His reports will come on Monday and if they are negative we will be able to meet him," said Gurjit Kaur, mother of Karan Deep, H1N1+.
The Punjab Health Department has started monitoring all schools that took students abroad recently especially Guru Amardass Public School from where 31 students went for this trip.
"We have constituted seven different teams. They are making lists of contacts of the students and teachers. These contacts are being observed. We have identified eight more people who were sitting next to these students. Indian government has given us the names. We have asked the civil surgeons to contact them and find out if they have any symptoms," said A R Talwar, Principal Health Secretary.
The Health Department is now gearing up to meet the challenge of N1H1 virus. But still there is little effort to increase awareness to check the spread of this disease.