Swine flu virus infection is growing in Bangladesh. More then hundred people has already attacked. At least two major English medium schools have been closed until further notice as the fear of swine flu epidemic gripped the Capital city. Scholastica and Sunbeams, which have around 10,000 students together, have informed parents through text messages that the schools have been declared closed until further notice.The government's Institute of Epidemiology and Disease Control and Research has urged the people not to be panicked.

Health and education officials stressed there was no government directive to close educational institutions. Authorities continue to advise schools and offices to grant leave to anyone who displays symptoms of the flu.

The number of confirmed H1N1 cases hit triple digits on Saturday, August 22. Dr Mahmudur Rahman, Director of the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), said the number of cases rose to 102 on Saturday with the detection of four more cases. “But the government has issued no notice regarding school closures because of swine flu,” he told the media.

Sunbeams took the move after a swine-flu infected student has reportedty attended the school last week. Scholastica took the drastic measure as flu panic struck the city dwellers.

Some other private and English medium schools are expected to follow suit on Sunday as the government said the number of Swine flu cases has now crossed more than 100 in the country.

Subodh Chandra Dhali, the education ministry's senior information officer, told private news service bdnews24.com that no directive had been issued by the ministry to close educational institutions as a precaution against the H1N1 flu virus.

Rahman said three of the four new cases have been admitted to hospital, but the other victims of the H1N1 virus had either made a full recovery or were recovering.

"The situation is still under control," he added.

Health minister AFM Ruhal Haque, earlier in the week, said there was no need to panic, although the number of confirmed swine flu cases had more than doubled in a matter of days, from just 37 on Aug 15 to 74 on Aug 18.

He suggested that people across the country should go to their nearest health centre if they have any respiratory problems coupled with fever.

He also told people to be aware of simple measures they could take to prevent spread of the H1N1 virus.

"People must use handkerchiefs when sneezing. One should refrain from spitting in public and should wash hands using soap and water after fits of coughing," the minister told a briefing on Thursday after an inter-ministerial meeting at the Secretariat.

The minister said there were concerns that the virus might spread quickly as it had in Kolkata in neighbouring India.

But he said: "We have handled the situation well so far. The authorities have been directed to beef up preparations to deal with the situation for the future."

Sufficient stocks, some 32 lakh doses, of flu drugs were in place, he said. Haque said it was also possible to manufacture the medicine in the country.

World Health Organisation, meanwhile, at a symposium in Beijing on Friday, expressed further concern about the global spread of swine flu, saying there could be an "explosion" around the world in the next few months.

WHO declared a global swine flu pandemic on June 11. It has recently stopped recording individual H1N1 cases around the world, but as of August 13 it had declared a total of 182,166 laboratory-confirmed cases and 1799 fatalities worldwide.

The first swine flu case was officially detected in Bangladesh on June 19.

The government's initial measures comprised screening incoming passengers for flu symptoms at Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet airports, Chittagong and Mongla seaports.

IEDCR earlier this month asked government hospitals to prepare their outdoor patient wards for a potential influx of swine flu patients following reports of the first H1N1 fatalities in India and screening was beefed up at the country's 11 land ports.

Health ministry officials have said training would be given to all doctors in the country to deal with the H1N1 virus.

Tags: Flu