Gujarat: Swine flu toll reaches close to 200

Swine flu has claimed 11 more lives in Gujarat, taking the total death toll in the state to 197 since January this year.

In Surat and Vadodara, three deaths were reported; while two deaths each were reported from Ahmedabad and Bhavnagar. One person also reportedly died in Sabarkantha district. In view of the swine flu rush, the central government last week had placed an order to increase the national stock of diagnostic kits to test for the virus.

Authorities are also procuring additional masks and doses of the anti-viral drug Oseltamivir.

Swine flu is caused by H1N1 virus. Symptoms for swine flu include high fever, headache, muscle pain, diarrhoea, vomiting, stomach pain and internal and external bleeding.