A middle-aged woman from the city was among the three patients from the state who tested positive for swine flu today, taking the total tally in the state to 31.

Throat swab sample reports received from PGIMER, Chandigarh, confirmed H1N1 Influenza A virus in three of the four samples which were taken yesterday - two from the city and one each from Amritsar and Sangrur.

The district health department had taken samples of Veena Garg (54) and Charu (24) yesterday after they were taken as contacts of their relative Deepak Garg (23), an NRI visiting the city for a family function, who had tested positive for the disease while undergoing treatment for the flu-related symptoms at PGI.

According to the figures compiled by Integrated Disease Suveillabce Project, as many as 31 cases of swine flu have been reported in the state so far. They include 14 from Jalandhar, six from Amritsar, three each from Gurdaspur and Patiala and one each from Hoshiarpur, Fatehgarh Sahib, Ropar, Sangrur and Ludhiana. Veena Garg is the first resident from the city counted in the tally.

Three earlier swine flu patients hailing from the city, including teenagers Harshita - who later succumbed to the disease - Palak Setia and Sapna Oberoi were counted in Haryana and Chandigarh tally of swine flu patients, depending upon where their samples were taken.

District epidemiologist Dr GP Mangla said patient Veena Garg, who hails from Sarabha Nagar locality in the city, had already been asked to remain in isolated conditions as she was taken as a contact of the swine flu patient yesterday. “We are now going to ask the patient and the relatives if they want to get her admitted to the hospital,” he said.

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