Hyderabad: A six-month-old baby boy, along with six others, was diagnosed with swine flu in the city on Monday taking the toll in January to 17. The total number of cases diagnosed in both TS and AP in 2014 stood at 86.

On Monday, five cases were reported from the twin cities alone.

One case was also confirmed from Kadapa while another from Ranga Reddy district.

Doctors say the virus can spread due to people coming in contact with infected persons or touching infected surfaces. Movement of people can also contribute to the spread.

The baby from Himayatnagar was brought to a private hospital with very high fever and running nose on Monday morning. The doctor suspected H1N1 and sent the samples for testing. The result came back positive in the evening. Senior doctors at the hospital also questioned the child’s mother. A doctor revealed, “She had taken the baby to the market. No one else at their home has got a cough or cold. The mother too is healthy.”

As the flu got diagnosed on the first day itself, doctors are confident that proper treatment and isolation will help in the baby’s recovery.

Another two-and-a-half-year old female child from Kumberwadi is undergoing treatment in another private hospital in the city. Similarly, a 47-year-old man from Kadapa has also been admitted to a private hospital.

The district surveillance officers are going to counsel the relatives of the patients and ask them to take the necessary precautions.

Due to the increase in the cases, Institute of Preventive Medicine has notified all the private hospitals that they can send blood samples on Sunday as the laboratory is being kept open.