A 15 year-old Mandi Gobindgarh schoolboy has been tested positive for the deadly swine flu.

According to reports, Randhir Singh, a class VIII student of OM Parkash Modern School, had landed in the capital on June 16 from a 10-day trip to National Aeronatics and Space Administration (NASA) in the USA.

It should be remembered that 21 school students along with 2 staff members and two of their family members had gone to Orlando, USA on a NASA tour from June 5 to June 15.

All the pupils were quarantined by expert medical doctors on June 17.

After reaching Mandi Gobindgarh, Randhir was quarantined after he showed flu-like symptoms and shifted to Civil Hospital, Mandi Gobindgarh.

His blood samples were forwarded to the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) in New Delhi and he has tested positive, sources said.

After getting the reports on Saturday, the doctors provided the patient required medicines.
 
The health officials said, “We have told them to take adequate precautions and remain in a separate room. All of them are under observation.”

Randhir has become the second similar case in Punjab to bring in deadly flu from the NASA.

Previously, the state (Punjab) reported its first swine flu case on June 14 in a student studying in Jalandhar school, who was part of a 34-member group, which had gone to the NASA on an education trip.

A day later, seven other students were also tested positive, which took the tally to eight.

They added that seven expert groups have been constituted to check all the persons who visited NASA and people and close relative who met them.

All this has raised questions as to why the school groups proceeded for visits to swine flu-affected nations despite knowing the possible risks involved.