Imphal, July 29: Even as the culling exercise is on in full swing under the eyes of the international community following the confirmation of bird flu in the State, a suspected case of the H5NI virus strain infecting human has come in from a place in Imphal East district today.

On immediate receipt of the news of the suspected case, a team of the National Institute of Communicable Diseases along with a medical team of the State Government visited the residence where the suspected case was reported from.

The suspected patient is a 6 year old girl child and she began showing symptoms which are akin to bird flu such as fever and breathing problem.

JN hospital authorities said that Tamiflu has already been administered to the child and she is being kept under constant vigil.

On receiving the information about the suspect case, the isolation ward at JN hospital was kept ready with all the doctors and nurses on the alert.

Later a team from JN hospital went to the residence of the girl where they were told that her conditions had improved slightly.

The advice of the medical team to get her admitted to JN hospital was however turned down by the family members and the girl is kept under close scrutiny at her home.

The parents have however been instructed to bring the girl to the isolation ward immediately if her condition worsens.

It is learnt that the family reared about 200 fowls and above 60 of them had perished during the last few weeks, before the bird flu was officially confirmed.

A number of the family members had developed fever but they all recovered.

The girl is reported to be the last person in the family to develop fever.