Six more swine flu deaths in India, toll jumps to 54

NEW DELHI: Six more swine flu deaths were reported in India, taking the death toll due to the H1N1 virus to 54, the union health ministry said here Saturday. While four deaths were reported from Maharashtra, one each was confirmed in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The country also reported 131 new cases of influenza A (H1N1), taking the total number of infected people across the country to 2,669. With the four deaths in Maharashtra, the toll in the state has gone up to 31. In Tamil Nadu, a 45-year-old man died of swine flu, taking the toll in the state to three, an official said. The victim, identified only as Sekar, died Friday at the Government General Hospital. He had Aug 12 undergone an operation for piles at another government hospital. "Four days later, he developed breathlessness and was shifted to Government General Hospital and tested positive for swine flu," Director of Medical Education S. Vinayakam said. Tamiflu tablets were administered to him, but Sekar breathed his last Friday night. Sekar had contracted the flu locally and had not travelled overseas. The other death was in Karnataka where 12 people have died so far. Gujarat has confirmed five deaths so far, Delhi two, while in Kerala one person has died. Of the total 131 confirmed cases reported Saturday, 44 were from Delhi alone. The worst-hit state of Maharashtra reported 23 cases, with Pune, considered the epicentre of the virus, has 16 fresh cases. The rest were reported from Karnataka (21), Tamil Nadu (20), West Bengal (5), Kerala (8), Chhattisgarh (1), Goa (3), Haryana (2), Rajasthan (2) and Madhya Pradesh (1). Of the 131 new cases, six people in Delhi and two in Kerala had travelled to countries that were affected with the flu. "About 14,187 people have been tested so far of whom 2,669 are positive for Influenza A (H1N1)," a statement issued by the health ministry said here. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), about 182,166 laboratory confirmed cases of H1N1 have ben reported till Aug 13. About 1,799 deaths have been reported worldwide, the maximum from Mexico and the US.