18-month-old youngest victim of H1N1 in Gujarat

In addition, two middle-aged men succumbed to the disease, taking the death toll in the city to seven and to 20 in the state of Gujrat.

Tanisha was brought to Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC)-run SMIMER Hospital on Monday evening in a critical condition with severe infection in the lower respiratory tract and broncho pneumonia.

The health officers of SMC disclosed that Tanisha was being treated by a local paediatric hospital in Rander, and admitted in the hospital after her condition started deteriorating.

"Tanisha was admitted to the Civil Hospital on September 13 after testing positive for H1N1 virus. She died at around 2000 hours due to bronco pneumonia along with swine flu," stated the health officials.

As a precautionary measure, the hospital staff treating Tanisha in Rander have been quarantined.

Two more fall prey to H1N1 in Surat
Ratilal Mungra, a diamond polisher from Katargam, was admitted at the New Civil Hospital (NCH) on Sept. 11. He tested positive for the virus the following day and was immediately put on treatment.

However, his condition worsened last evening and he died of respiratory failure. Heath officials are unsure how Mungra acquired the infection.

Vinod Upadhyay, 40, a resident of Jalaramnagar, Pandesara, died at Mahavir Hospital on Monday. He was hospitalized on Sept. 10 with severe flu symptoms like sour throat, cough and high fever.

The throat swab of Upadhyay, which had been sent to BJ Medical College, tested positive for H1N1 infection. He was put on ventilator, and his condition closely monitored in the isolation ward, but he did not respond to medication.

"We have quarantined his family members and have asked them to undergo the complete treatment course,'' hospital superintendent MK Wadhel said.

How Upadhyay got infected with the virus was not clear, Wadhel said.

Three more persons, including two middle-aged women and a 16-year-old boy, were also admitted to NCH on Tuesday. All three patients exhibited symptoms of the virus on clinical examination and their blood samples have been sent for testing.

Meanwhile, 13 more patients are undergoing treatment for swine flu at NCH. So far, 162 people have tested positive for the virus in the state.

Update of H1N1 infection across the country
The swine flu death toll has gone up to 201, with eight more falling prey to the disease across the country Tuesday.

Of the eight fatalities reported Tuesday, two are from the capital while the others are from Gujarat and Maharashtra.

In addition, 229 fresh swine flu cases were reported from various states. Delhi reported 61 cases, Tamil Nadu 50, Haryana and Karnataka reported 31 and 22 cases respectively, taking the total number of people affected by the virus so far to 6,588.