H1N1 claims six more, toll touches 69

Four deaths occurred in Maharashtra, the worst-hit state, and one each in Gujarat and Haryana as close to 2,800 patients were undergoing treatment for the disease across the country.

Twenty-one year-old Pushpa Choudhary, a resident of Thane who was seven months pregnant, died of swine flu at Kasturba Hospital today, taking the death count to eight in the metropolis, health officials said.

Another fatality from the Maharashtra was reported when 26-year-old Anil Sheshrao Chavan succumbed to the disease at a hospital in Jalna in Marathwada region.

In Pune, which is bearing the brunt of the pandemic in India, two more women died of the disease, taking the death toll here to 22.

Forty-two year Kamal Wagale, who tested positive for H1N1 virus and was admitted to a private hospital in a critical condition, died on Sunday.

The second victim, Ujwala Wakchoure, 36, succumbed to the disease at the government-run Sassoon Hospital, where she was admitted on August 21.

A middle-aged man died at the SSG hospital in Vadodra this morning as the total number of HINI fatalities in Gujarat mounted to six.

Hasmukh Hingu, admitted to the government-run hospital on August 20 with respiratory distress syndrome, tested positive yesterday, Gujarat Principal Secretary (Health) Ravi Saxena said.

In the national capital, a 48-year-old man, who died late last night of suspected swine flu, had tested negative for the virus.

RML Medical Superintendent N K Chaturvedi said the man died of acute respiratory distress syndrome and pnuemonitis, adding he was not suffering from HINI disease.

In Haryana, a 40-year-old woman, who was admitted to a private hospital in Panchkula with symptoms of swine flu, died on Sunday.

A resident of Kurukshetra district, her swab had been sent to the National Institute of Communicable Diseases for test, a state health department official said.

As many as 13 people, including two children, tested positive for the virus in Delhi, taking the total number of H1NI cases in the national capital to 441.

In all, over 100 people were afflicted with the disease across the country since Saturday, Union Health Ministry officials said.