A new case of swine flu came to light on Wednesday in Hyderabad. With this, the total number of confirmed H1N1cases in Hyderabad has risen to 13 and 31 in the country.

According to reports, a 9-year-old boy who arrived from New Jersey transiting through London by a British Airways flight on June 14, has been tested positive for swine flu at the airport itself as the boy had flu like symptoms.

Later, the boy was shifted to the Government Chest Hospital at Erragadda. The throat swab of the boy, which was forwarded to the National Institute of Communicable Diseases in New Delhi, tested positive for swine flu on Tuesday.

Confirming the development, a senior health functionary stated, “His sample has tested positive. It has been sent to National Institute of Virology (Pune) for a confirmatory test. But the patient has been put on chemoprophylaxis. We are trying to track his contacts and people who were sitting next to him in the flight.''

In the meantime, two new suspected swine flu cases including an 8-year-old girl and a 25-year-old software employee who came back from California have been quarantined at the Chest Hospital on Tuesday. Their samples have been sent for testing.

At present, there are 4 suspected and 6 confirmed cases of swine flu undergoing treatment at the Chest Hospital.

In India, 315 people have been tested for the swine flu infection up till now. Out of 31 cases reported positive, 11 patients have been discharged after the required treatment.

Mr. Dinesh Trivedi, Health minister of Andhra Pradesh, stated, “The government is ready to handle the situation and there is no need to panic but as the USA is main source (of Swine Flu) as far as India is concerned… Americans too, like in Mexico, should provide some kind of screening at the point of departure.”

At the same time, the government urged Indians, especially youngsters, to postpone all the non essential foreign visits till this deadly influenza is reigned in.