Nine more swine flu deaths push India's toll to 154

Nine more people - five in Maharashtra and four in Karnataka - died of swine flu in India Thursday, taking the toll from the virus in the country to 154, health authorities said here.

As the swine flu spreads, the union health ministry is likely to allow restricted sales of influenza A (H1N1) preventive drug Tamiflu to general public.


'The health secretary is holding a meeting of concerned stakeholders Friday and a decision on the restricted sale is likely by the evening,' a ministry official told IANS, requesting anonymity.


The official said that selected chemists, who hold licence to sell H-level drugs, may be allowed to sell Tamiflu.


In Maharashtra, the five deaths were reported from Ahmednagar, Satara, Raigad and Solapur. With this, the toll in the state has gone up to 72 - the highest in the country.


In Karnataka, deaths were reported from Bijapur, Bangalore, Bagalkot and Davangere. With the four deaths, the total number of people who have succumbed to the virus in this southern state has risen to 49 - the second highest in India.


'As the death toll due to swine flu is rising fast in the state, the government is taking all measures, including providing adequate infrastructure in terms of hospitals and laboratories to treat and test patients infected with H1N1 virus,' Principal Secretary (Health and Family Welfare) I.R. Perumal told IANS.


About 176 fresh swine flu cases were reported in the country, taking the total number of people affected with H1N1 virus to 5,611.


Delhi reported the maximum number of fresh cases Thursday with a record 68 people testing positive for the flu. It was followed by Tamil Nadu, where 32 people were detected with the contagious virus.


Maharashtra had 26 fresh cases.


The other states where new cases were reported were Haryana (14), Andhra Pradesh (5), Kerala (2), West Bengal (2), Uttarakhand (2) and Punjab (1).