MUMBAI: The dreaded H1N1 virus claimed the life of a one-year-old child on Sunday morning, rekindling fears of the potency of the virus that was believed to have become dormant. With this, the total number of swine flu related deaths has gone up to three this month. The virus has already claimed 62 lives in Maharashtra since April this year.

The child, a resident of Dharavi, was taken to the civic-run Sion hospital on Thursday evening where he was administered Tamiflu, said doctors. "The boy was gasping for breath so we did not want to waste anytime and put him on a course of Tamiflu," said paediatrician Dr Preeti Shanbag of Sion hospital, who treated him. She added that his throat swab was collected and sent for examination at the PCR laboratory in Kasturba Hospital.

"We got his reports by Saturday evening that confirmed the presence of the H1N1 virus. But, his condition had already deteriorated by then," said Shanbag. She added that Tamiflu works best if it is administered within 48 hours of showing the swine flu symptoms. Any dose after that may not be much beneficial.

BMC's executive health officer Dr Girish Ambe said that the child was suffering from fever at least five days prior to his admission at the Sion hospital. Ambe, however, did not have any information if the family members had taken him to any other doctor before admitting him to the hospital. "By the time he was brought here, he was breathless and was immediately put on a ventilator," he said. On Monday, his family members were asked to take a course of Tamiflu for five days.

This month 54 people have already tested positive for swine flu in the city. Dr Daksha Shah, head of epidemiology cell, said the hospital has been receiving many cases of swine flu almost everyday.