Swine flu screening at Vailankanni in Tamil Nadu

A popular Christian pilgrimage centre in Tamil Nadu has been ordered to take up screening of public to contain the outbreak of swine flu cases across the state.

Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi on Monday advised health officials to set up swine flue monitoring centres at Vailankanni - a Christian site that attracts thousands of religious pilgrims throughout the year.

The caution has come just days ahead of the 11-day Vailankanni festival that gathers thousands of devotees from across the country, wearing orange robes and taking part in an illuminated chariot procession.

Popularly called `Anna Velankanni', the festival is held yearly from August 29 to September 8 and has traditionally drawn people of all faiths.

The Nagapattinam district administration said it has already initiated steps to scrutinize pilgrims with swine flu symptoms.

District Collector C Munianathan said that pilgrims from Goa, Maharashtra, Kerala and other states would be screened at railway stations and bus stands. Also, those with fever and cold will be ordered to compulsorily wear masks.

Vailankanni Public Health Centre and Nagapattinam General Hospital will take adequate precautions to prevent the spread of the H1N1 virus.

According to reports, past three months, 7,516 people were tested for swine flu in Tamil Nadu, of whom 205 were found positive. Interestingly, Chennai figured second in the list of A(H1N1)-positive cases in the country.

Meanwhile, the countrywide death toll due to HINI virus climbed to 66 on Sunday. Maharashtra now accounts the highest cases with 35 flu deaths.

First reported four months ago, the new A(H1N1) influenza virus spread by June into a global pandemic with some 1,800 deaths and now affects more than 170 countries, according to the World Health Organization.