India reports first swine flu death

Aug 3, 2009, 16:36 GMT

New Delhi - India reported its first swine flu death on Monday when a school girl succumbed to the virus in the western Pune city, officials said.

The 14-year-old girl developed fever and reported flu-like symptoms and was admitted to a private clinic on July 27, a statement from India's federal Health Ministry mentioned.

It said the girl's condition worsened and she was shifted to the Intensive Care Unit and put on the ventilator on July 29. She was treated with Tamiflu and tested positive for swine flu on July 30.

'Her condition deteriorated again with multi-system involvement (multi-organ failure) and she expired on the evening of August 3,' the statement said.

The Health Ministry said some hospital staff, including three doctors and a nurse who treated the girl and had developed respiratory symptoms, were being treated with Tamiflu.

According to Indian health authorities, 558 people have been infected by the H1N1 strain of influenza in the country.

Pune has seen 76 students testing positive for the influenza A (H1N1) virus, which led to nine schools being shut in the city. A total of 16 students were being treated at various health facilities, state officials said.