Swine Flu Spreads to Kashmir and Nagaland

NEW DELHI: With 663 deaths and more than 10,000 affected patients, Swine flu is spreading across India with new cases being reported from Kashmir and Nagaland.

The figures show that there has been no respite in the impact of the virus as it claimed 40 lives in the last 24 hours across the country.

The flu has now also spread to Kashmir and the north-east part of India. The reports have confirmed that Kashmir valley and Nagaland too have been attacked by the H1N1 virus with few deaths and many others infected by it.

While two people have died in Kashmir of swine flu, one woman has been tested positive in Nagaland.

"There have been two deaths so far of patients who were infected with the H1N1 virus and 71 more patients have tested positive for the virus and are undergoing treatment," Showkat Zargar, Director, Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), told reporters in Srinagar.

Nagaland too reported its first confirmed case with a woman testing positive for the flu.

According to the figures released by the Central government, there are 10025 patients who tested positive of H1N1 virus across the country with the figures alarmingly increasing.

Meanwhile, Health Ministry confirmed the reports and said that the Centre is ready for any eventualities, adding that various measures are being taken to curb the flu.

"There is no dearth of medicines in the Centre and states and all hospitals are being equipped to deal with the swine flu" said J P Nadda Union Health minister .

Nadda added that they are closely monitoring the situation and are ready for any support needed by states.

Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh are the worst-hit states with 183, 155 and 90 deaths reported from there respectively. In Punjab, the toll has risen to 24 while in neighbouring Haryana, the total number of deaths is 17.

While six people have died in Uttar Pradesh with the number of positive cases in the state touching 114, in Delhi 1173 patients have been tested positive and the figures are increasing with each passing day.

Meanwhile, the AAP government in Delhi has ordered all private medical labs not to charge more than Rs 4,500 to carry out tests for the viral disease.