Swine flu has not only been flown in by patients with a history of travel abroad, but the disease has also begun to spread locally in Chandigarh, with the most vulnerable targets being hospital staff who treat H1N1 patients.

Five doctors and paramedic staff have been infected out of the total 18 positive cases so far. While the immediate travel history ¿ both within and outside the country ¿ confirm that it is a case of “imported infection” for two hospital employees, the other three have “locally acquired infections”. Doctors believe they were infected in hospitals.

Out of the five cases, three are in PGI where two resident doctors and one employee in the administrative wing have tested positive. Of these, one resident doctor and the administrative employee had travelled to Bangalore and Hyderabad respectively before complaining of the symptoms. The other resident doctor had no travel history and is understood to have acquired it locally.

Two doctors tested positive at GMCH, in the departments of anaesthesia and orthopaedics. Both had not travelled out.

The UT nodal officer for swine flu, H C Gera, said: “We are following all guidelines of treatment. There can be some cases of lateral symptoms —where patients carry the infection, symptoms of which are not visible at the time they come in contact with doctors and paramedic staff. H1N1 virus is highly contagious and hospital staff are also vulnerable to it.”

Incidentally, there was a meeting on HIN1 in Delhi headed by Union

Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on Thursday, where representatives of all states were present to discuss treatment guidelines.

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