Swine flu deaths increase after onset of monsoon

Swine flu deaths continued their upwards surge since the onset of monsoon with 17 fatalities reported due to the disease in the country since June 21, the maximum of which were from Kerala and Maharashtra.

Both the states reported seven deaths each while Andhra Pradesh reported two and Uttar Pradesh one, health ministry
officials said today.

All 345 cases reported during the week are indigenous
cases.

Till date, samples from 1,43,285 people have been tested for influenza H1N1 and 33,083 (23 per cent) of them have been found positive.

With the new cases, the swine flu toll in Kerala since the monsoon hit the state has risen to 32.

Kerala reported 16 deaths from May 15 till June 15, prompting the Central government to send a three-member team to the state to assess the situation.

In the week from June 8 to June 14, Kerala reported 10 of the 14 deaths due to the disease across the country. 

The state government has also requested the Union health
ministry to facilitate distribution of H1N1 vaccine to ensure
its availability to public.
    
The first swine flu death was reported in the country on May 16 last year. Maharashtra reported the maximum number of H1N1 deaths last year.