Guwahati, August 18 2009: EVEN AS several expert teams from the Central Health Ministry are touring the Northeastern states to impart training to doctors on Swine flu and to supervise the treatment facilities available in these states, the total number of Swine flu cases in region on Sunday (August 16), reached with seven more people including a student, an Army soldier and a paramiltary personnel tested positive of Influenza A (H1N1) infections in Meghalaya, Mizoram and Assam.

Health Department officials in Shillong said that three of the four new patients, whose throat swab samples have tested positive, are suspected to have contracted the flu from Silvit Tongper, a 17-year-old footballer who was the first one to test positive in Meghalaya.

The new patients are either friends or were in the same hospital with Silvit, who tested positive of Swine flu on August 11, after his return from England.

A woman, who works in Pune and returned to Shillong last week, also tested positive of Swine flu, according to doctors at the Shillong Civil Hospital.

In Mizoram, the throat swab samples of a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel and a army soldier were also found to be positive, said N Pallai, Director of Health and Family Welfare Department, government of Mizoram.

The CRPF constable is reportedly posted at the Lengpui Airport, Mizoram's lone airport while the army soldier had recently come to Aizawl from New Delhi after a holiday.

In Assam, Dhiraj Yadav, a student from Pune who has been undergoing treatment of suspected Swine flu at the Mahendra Mohan Choudhuary Hospital (MMCH) in Guwahati, confirmed positive of A(H1N1) infection.

Rajiv Das, another student, who is studying in Mumbai, has also been admitted to the MMCH on suspicion of Swine flu.

Officials of the Assam Health Department said that of the 30 throat swab samples of suspected Swine flu patients sent for laboratory test, the results of 19 samples have been released.

Of them one patient (Dhiraj Yadav) tested positive of Swine flu and the 18 others tested negative, while the results of 11 samples are awaited.

Along with collecting the throat swabs of sister and brother in-law of Dhiraj Yadav, the State Health Department has appealed to all the 41 passengers who were with Dhiraj Yadav in the Indigo flight (6E321) on March 13, to come forward for examination of their health.

So far, 6 of the 41 passengers have reportedly come forward for health check up.

The first Swine flu case in the northeast region was reported on July 31, on a 19-year-old Manipuri woman fencing player who returned from Singapore after participating in a championship.

Meanwhile, several teams of experts from the Central Health ministry are visiting the Northeastern states to impart training to doctors and to supervise the treatment facilities available in these states even as screening of passengers at all Airports as well as border areas have been intensified.

Northeast States share border with Myanmar, Bangladesh and China.

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