The first case of Swine flu death was reported in India on Monday 2nd of August 2009 as a 14-year-old school girl from Pune fell victim to the virus, a week after she was admitted to a private hospital with symptoms of the disease.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in a press release said that the girl was suffering from the disease since 21st of July. Her condition worsened and was shifted to ICU and was put on Ventilator last week. She died last evening at a private Nursing Home in the city. She was tested positive for Swine Flu by the National Institute of Virology, Pune.
The death occured even as health officials in Pune said three more persons including two students tested positive for the H1N1 virus last night, taking the total number of Swine flu cases in the city to 101.
Several schools were also shut down after Pune came on the country's swine flu map with 558 cases reported in several parts of the country.
Confirming the death, Union Health Secretary Naresh Dayal said the girl who has not been identified yet could have been "saved" if there was medical intervention in time suggesting there was a delay in treatment.
The girl first started showing symptoms of sore throat, running nose, headache on 21st July after which she consulted a doctor, a health ministry official said, adding she had improved following which she resumed going to school.
She developed fever again on 25th July for which she consulted another private medical practitioner but the fever persisted and was admitted to Jahangir hospital on 27th July.
As the patient's condition worsened, she was shifted to ICU and was put on ventilator on 29th July and she tested positive for swine flu on 30th July.
Despite being on Oseltamivir, an anti-swine flu drug, her condition deteriorated leading to multi-organ failure and she expired at 5 PM on Monday, a senior health ministry official said in New Delhi.
Health authorities in New Delhi and Mumbai said there was no reason for panic but counselled schools not to allow students showing symptoms of the disease like severe cold, bodyache and cough.
Pune Divisional Commissioner Dilip Bhand said swine flu patients must take treatment in government hospitals.
