West Bengal minister down with swine flu

KOLKATA - A West Bengal minister was among three people who tested positive for swine flu in the state since Wednesday evening, a health official Thursday said.

State Water Resource Minister Nandagopal Bhattacharjee, admitted in a private hospital with heart and lung problems over the last few days, was confirmed as a swine flu (H1N1 influenza) case, officials said. He was put on a ventilator.

“With three more people testing positive over the last 24 hours (from Wednesday), altogether twelve people have so far been detected positive for swine flu in the last few days. One of them is serious,” state nodal officer for swine flu Asit Biswas told IANS.

However, he said there was no need to panic. “We already have a 100-bed isolation ward at the Beliaghata Infectious Diseases Hospital. We have to monitor the situation very carefully”.

In 2009, 135 people were affected with swine flu in the state but all of them recovered and there were no fatalities.