First case of swine flu transmitted in Bangladesh

June 25, 2009

A case of swine flu transmitted from human to human within the country has been identified for the first time, health and family planning minister AFM Ruhul Haque told bdnews24.com Wednesday.

The case marks the first time the virus has been diagnosed in Bangladesh in an individual who had not recently returned from the United States.

“The situation is under control and there is nothing to worry about,” said Haque.

“Cautionary measures are being taken to tackle the situation,” he said.

He said tests for the H1N1 virus has been carried out for 59 suspected cases and only seven results had proved positive.

The six other cases confirmed in Bangladesh all recently returned from the US, IEDCR director Mahmudur Rahman told bdnews24.com.

“All of them are doing fine and undergoing treatment at home,” he said.

Passengers are being screened for swine flu at Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet airports, Chittagong and Mongla seaports and 11 land ports, Rahman said.

Advice

Mushtuq Hosain, a senior official of IEDCR advises those displaying flu-like symptoms to remain at home and request their employers for leave.

He said people should refrain from spitting in public areas, and proper hygiene, including regular hand washing, can curb the spread of the virus.

“Dhaka is a densely populated city and flu can spread rapidly if precautions aren’t taken,” Hosain told bdnews24.com.

“Outside Dhaka there are health workers and family planning assistants who do door to door counseling, but this is not available in Dhaka.”

“It is important to do door-to-door counseling in Dhaka also,” said Hosain.

He stressed the swine flu virus had not claimed many deaths worldwide, except in the US and Mexico where the death rates are higher than elsewhere.

Bangladesh has been relatively unaffected by the global pandemic to date. But as one of the least developed and most densely populated countries, it remains vulnerable to the flu’s rapid spread.

The first case of the H1N1 virus in Bangladesh was identified last Thursday in a young man who recently returned from the United States.

So far, of the nearly 43,312 cases confirmed globally, the virus has caused mild to moderate symptoms.

It has claimed the lives of some 171 people. Of these deaths, 109 were in Mexico, where it was first detected in April.

First case of swine flu transmitted in Bangladesh

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