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Swine flu kills over 500 in India so far this year

Xinhua, February 16, 2015 Adjust font size:

Swine flu or H1N1 has killed over 500 people in India this year, doubling the figure of death from the epidemic of the whole year of 2014, officials said on Monday.

Twelve more people were killed recently in the western state Gujarat while 11 people were lately the victims of the deadly virus in the western state Rajasathan, raising the death toll in the country to over 500 since the beginning of this year, said health officials.

At least 6,300 cases of the swine flue were reported in the past one and a half months in India.

However, additional Secretary of the Ministry of Health A. K. Panda told the media that there is no reason for panic and there are enough medicines in stock, adding that there were usually more H1N1 cases in winter.

According to the official, the number of reported swine flu cases in 2014 was 937 while the death toll stood at 218.

The government on Sunday said it was "closely" monitoring the spurt in swine flu cases in the country, with the Health Ministry claiming that the countrywide toll from swine flu had reached 485 till Feb. 12.

"We are monitoring the situation very closely and are in touch with the health officials of the states most affected by the disease," said a senior Health Ministry official.

Rajasthan and Gujarat have witnessed the maximum number of deaths, while Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Telangana states in western, central and southeastern India have been significantly affected by swine flu. Endi