Two die of swine flu in Orissa, toll seven

BHUBANESWAR - Two women died of swine flu in Orissa, taking the toll due to H1N1 to seven in the state, an official said. This happened even as the World Health Organisation (WHO) announced that the H1N1 virus, which is responsible for swine flu, has “largely run its course”.

A 41-year-old woman was tested positive Tuesday. She died in Veer Surendra Sai Medical college hospital at Burla town in Sambalpur district early Wednesday, a senior state health official told IANS.

Another woman aged 27 years died in a private hospital here Tuesday night. She was undergoing treatment since Aug 5.

At least three more patients who tested positive for swine flu during the past three weeks are undergoing treatment in various hospitals in Bhubaneswar and its nearby Cuttack, the official said.

Their condition is stable, he added.

The WHO Tuesday officially declared the swine flu pandemic over, 14 months after it issued the highest influenza alert level for the disease.

“The new H1N1 virus has largely run its course,” WHO Director-General Margaret Chan said in a teleconference. “We are now moving into the post-pandemic period.”