Rio Olympics returned Sudha Singh tests positive for swine flu, not Zika

30-year-old steeplechase runner had complained about body pain and was suspected to have contracted Zika virus.

Bengaluru

: Indian steeplechase runner Sudha Singh, who returned from Rio Olympics, has been tested positive for swine flu on Tuesday evening. Earlier, she was suspected to have contracted Zika virus.

The 30-year-old had complained about body pain after returning from Rio a few days back and was admitted to a Bengaluru hospital.

Singh has been kept in isolation for seven days. Previously, the doctors treated her for viral fever and were also carrying out diagnosis to rule out Zika scare.

"Sudha Singh arrived here in Bengaluru on August 20 with fever and body ache. She was admitted to one of the chains of Fortis Hospital the same day. The athlete is undergoing treatment and medication for suspected zika virus," Sports Authority of India (SAI) Regional Director M Shyam Sunder had said.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah wished Sudha Singh a ‘speedy and thorough recovery’. “Our govt will oversee Sudha Singh's recovery process, and bear all treatment costs at Fortis Hospital Bengaluru,” tweeted Siddaramaiah.

Swine flu is a contagious disease, and can spread through the air, especially if a non-infected person breathes in the virus that has been exhaled by a patient by sneezing or coughing.

Sudha is one of the top female steeplechasers in India, and also holds the national record for women’s 3,000m race, which she broke at the prestigious Diamond League Meet in Shanghai, earlier this year.