New Delhi, Aug 14 (IANS):  When Delhi resident Radhika Singh's 15-year-old son developed fever and cough - symptoms similar to swine flu - she took him to a doctor who told her to go for a simple influenza test. But that is not a good idea, say experts.

"The test came negative and the doctor told me that my child need not go for the H1N1 virus test," Singh told IANS.

However, experts and doctors dealing with swine flu are stressing that such tests are unreliable and are not recommended to detect the H1N1 virus.

"It is a rapid test which is not at all reliable. It is cheaper, a simple blood test, but in no way indicates whether a person is affected with swine flu or not," Randeep Guleria, head of medicine at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), told IANS.

Citing Reeda Shaikh's example, Guleria said a lab had carried out the simple influenza test, which had come out negative, although the 14-year-old girl was infected with the H1N1 virus.

"When the H1N1 test was finally done by the NIV (National Institute of Virology), it came out positive for swine flu," he said. Shaikh, who died Aug 3 at a private hospital in Pune, was India's first swine flu fatality.

So far, 20 people have died of the disease and over 1,000 people have been infected with the H1N1 virus in India.

"One needs to understand that such tests are not right. In Reeda's case that happened. Doctors didn't know that she was suffering from swine flu and delayed treatment killed her. The treatment was delayed because of the wrong test results," Guleria added.

Like Singh, there are others who are going for the simple influenza test to avoid testing in state-run government hospitals because of crowds.

"A friend of mine also told me that she went for a similar test. Her doctor had told her that if she doesn't want to go to a government hospital then she could do this test, which would highlight whether she needs to go for an H1N1 test. And if it does show strains of swine flu, then they could go for the H1N1 test," Singh said.

S. Chaterjee, a senior consultant at the internal medicine department of Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, said: "Influenza A (common flu) and Influenza A (H1N1) are two separate viruses although they belong to the group."

"There are two different tests for checking seasonal flu and swine flu and it is dangerous if doctors are testing common flu and assuring patients that they don't have swine flu," he said.

V.M. Katoch, secretary in the department of health research, told IANS: "India's first swine flu death is a victim of such wrong testing."