79 H1N1 deaths in India in past one week: Govt.

As many as 79 people have died of influenza A (H1N1) in India in the week ended August 22, an official statement from the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare said here today.

With this, the toll in the country since the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the swine flu as a pandemic in mid-June last year has crossed the 2000-mark and reached 2024.

The WHO, on August 10, had declared an end to the pandemic but called for continued vigilance, pointing out that pandemics, like the viruses that cause them, are unpredictable.

Of the 79 deaths, 40 occurred in Maharashra, 12 in Gujarat, 8 in Karnataka, 6 in Madhya Pradesh, 5 in Delhi, 4 in Rajasthan, 3 in Andhra Pradesh and 1 in Uttar Pradesh.

A total of 1335 fresh cases of the flu were reported during the week, including 411 in Maharashtra, 291 in Karnataka, 257 in Delhi and 103 in Andhra Pradesh, the statement added.

NNN