Three swine flu deaths take India’s toll to 447

NEW DELHI - Three swine flu deaths, including two in Maharashtra, were reported Monday, taking the total number of Influenza A (H1N1) virus deaths in the country to 447, health authorities said here.

With the two deaths, the number of people who have died due to the contagious virus in Maharashtra has gone up to 194 - the highest in the country.

One death was also reported from Haryana. It has taken the total toll in the state to five.

Also, 68 new cases were recorded Monday, pushing the total number of people affected with the deadly flu virus to 13,441, a health official said here.

“Till date, samples from 71,086 people have been tested for Influenza A (H1N1) in government laboratories and a few private laboratories across the country, and 13,441 of them have been found positive,” the official said.

Of the 68 new cases, 25 alone were reported from Kerala.

Kerala was followed by the Indian capital. Ten new cases were reported Monday, taking the total number of people affected with the virus to 3,374 - the second highest in the country. Sixteen deaths have occurred in the national capital.

In Maharashtra, as many as 3,590 people have been infected with the virus, the highest in the country. On Monday, five more people tested positive for the flu in the state.

New cases were also reported from Andhra Pradesh (5), Haryana (2), Goa (1), Uttarakhand (1), Gujarat (1) and Bihar (1).