6 succumb to swine flu, dead count 463

Of the latest deaths, 5 were reported from the southern state of Karnataka alone, while only one death was reported from the state of Maharashtra, the worst hit state in the country.

Infections tally rises to 13,722
75 fresh cases of H1N1 were also reported from different parts of the country Thursday, taking the number of people afflicted with the virus to 13,722.

In the recent past there has been a spike in the number of cases being reported from Kerela. Of the latest 75 cases reported Thursday, 27 were reported from Kerela alone.

11 new cases of the swine flu were also reported from the national capital Delhi. Tamil Nadu and Chandigarh reported 5 fresh cases each while a lone case was reported from Haryana.

“Till date, samples from 72,483 people have been tested for Influenza A (H1N1) in government laboratories and a few private laboratories across the country, and 13,722 of them have been found positive,” said a statement issued by the health ministry.

Thus, from the total sample size of 72,483 that have been tested for swine flu, 18.9 percent have been found to be positive for the virus.

Maharashtra and Karnataka reel under swine flu menace
With the latest deaths reported Thursday, the fatality toll due to the influenza stands at 197 in Maharashtra, the highest in the country, followed by Karnataka, where 117 people have succumbed to the virus.

The total number of confirmed swine flu cases in Karnataka is 1,392 till date.

Maharashtra also reported 10 fresh infections, while Karnataka reported 9 fresh infections Thursday as the swine flu spread unabated in the two states.

4,154 people have been affected with the highly contagious flu in Maharashtra ever since the current swine flu pandemic broke out in April this year.

Of the total infections, 3,914 have been treated and discharged, while the others are undergoing treatment at various designated swine flu centers.

“Till date, 11,16,541 people have been examined for swine flu, with 61,061 suspected patients being administered Tamiflu,” according to an official statement.

Isolation wards have been set up at 101 places and 607 screening centers have come up in the state to tackle the swine flu.

Members of the medical fraternity across hospitals in Bangalore are being screened for the influenza, after seven doctors from Victoria Hospital and Bowring Hospital tested positive for swine flu recently.