KATHMANDU: Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Diseases Hospital has been giving Tamiflu (Oseltamivir), an anti-viral drug, to suspected patients of swine flu after only half confirming the infection through a rapid test.

Dr Geeta Shakya, acting director of National Public Health Laboratory at Teku, said they took around 72 hours to fully confirm the infection.

In some cases, it may take up to a week if the samples are contaminated. She said so far they had collected samples of 61 cases, of which 20 tested positive.

She said a testing kit had been brought from Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, to fully confirm the disease. They had to send only three cases to Hong-Kong, when the infection was first reported in Nepal, added Shakya. Dr Basu Dev Pandey, virologist, said, “Tamiflu is not the medicine for treating the flu completely but it blocks the virus replication.” He added that if given at the initial phase, it is 100 per cent effective. But since in Nepal patients are given the dose after around 48 hours, as the lab test

is slow, it is only 75 per cent effective. Pandey said they had been giving the same medicine even to the suspected cases after the rapid test and on the basis of their clinical judgement.

“We give full dose to the patients who are suspected of swine flu even after they tested negative,” said virologist. He claimed that if such a patient contracts flu at a later stage the medicine would be equally effective if the patient underwent full course of Tamiflu the first time, as per the guidance of World Health Organisation.

Dr Saroj Prasad Rajendra, director of Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Diseases Hospital, said anyone who tested positive in the rapid test was given Tamiflu.

Dr Samir M Dixit, Research Scientist and Director, Centre for Molecular Dynamics, Nepal, said there was no other alternative but to give Tamiflu. The possible side effects of Tamiflu on children are vomiting, bronchitis, dizziness, headache and nausea, added Dixit.

Jhapa swine flu high-risk zone

JHAPA: District Administration Office today declared Jhapa swine flu ‘high risk zone’. A meeting chaired by Assistant Chief District Officer Lekhanath Pokharel at DAO took the decision.

According to Pokharel, swine flu infected persons can easily enter Nepal from Jhapa, courtesy the open border.

A District Public Health Office officer says the health desk established at the eastern point of Kakadbhitta on Shrawan 4 has not been working effectively. Only one senior assistant health worker mans the health desk from 10 am to 5 pm. “Thousands of tourists enter Nepal in a day via the border point. One health worker can do nothing more than jotting down their names,” DPHO Jhapa Chief Nawaraj Subba said.

According to him, two hardworking health workers are needed to man the health desk from 8 am to 8 pm with sufficient equipment. He conceded that lack of adequate budget was affecting the health desk functioning.

Two months ago, the government had announced the setting up of health desks in Jhapa’s Kakadbhitta, Rupandehi’s Belahiya, Parsa’s Raxaul, Banke’s Rupediya and Morang’s Jogbani points.

In India, 15 persons have died of swine flu, while 20 persons have tested positive for the flu in Nepal. ---HNS