With 13-year old Harshita falling prey to swine flu on Monday in Chandigarh and becoming the first casualty of the virus in the region, the health authorities in the neighbouring states of Haryana and Punjab have intensified their efforts to check the spread of virus to the contacts of the deceased.

As many as five students of the Chaman Vatika School, Ambala, where Harshita was a hosteller, have been reported to be positive for the disease so far and two of these contacts found positive for the flu hail from different districts of Punjab.

The health department in the state has home-quarantined the two students at their respective houses in Ludhiana and Sangrur districts after they were found positive for H1N1 Influenza A virus, yesterday.

Dr Deepak Bhatia of Integrated Disease Surveillance Project said the two students from the state, who are also in the age group of 12-14 years have been put on the treatment while their contacts have been also been identified.

Dr US Sooch, officiating district health officer in the district, said Palak Sethi of Ghumar Mandi had been quarantined at her home and treatment started. Her family members have also been put on the tamiflu treatment, he added.

The second student, a boy in the same age group, who hails from Sangrur has also been quarantined at his house in Sangrur, informed Dr Bhatia. “Besides, we have identified as many as 18 contacts of these two patients. All the contacts have also been put on the treatment and the family members have been advised to take full precautions,” said Dr Bhatia.

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