57 people die of swine flu in India

New Delhi: As many as 57 people have died, mostly in Maharashtra, of swine flu in the country till April 18 this year, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Tuesday.

Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad agreed that swine flu or H1N1 has re-surfaced in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu.

In Maharashtra, 20 people died of the virus from January to April 18 this year, he said.

Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad agreed that swine flu has re-surfaced in AP, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu.

The state also recorded the highest number of swine flu cases with 463 people infected with the virus.

In Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh, 12 deaths each were reported. While in Rajasthan 107 cases were registered, 112 cases were reported in Andhra.

Deaths were also reported from Karnataka (8), Gujarat (2), Tamil Nadu (2) and Madhya Pradesh (1).

The minister said they had prepared safety guidelines in 2009 in the wake of the pandemic outbreak that killed over 750 people. Apart from India, the flu outbreak was also witnessed in over 200 countries, including in the US and Britain.

Azad said they have issued an advisory again to all the states, asking them to gear up their medical facilities, including critical care.

(For updates you can share with your friends, follow IBNLive on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest)