Orissa swine flu toll rises to eight

BHUBANESWAR - The swine flu toll in Orissa rose to eight Friday with the state health department confirming the death of a teenager due to the H1N1 virus.

“We have confirmed one more death due to swine flu. The toll due to the disease has climbed to eight,” a senior state health official told IANS.

“The latest victim was a teenager. He died in Cuttack, some 26 kms from here,” the official said without disclosing details.

He said the throat swabs of at least 67 people were tested since July and 25 were found positive, but only seven are under going treatments in the hospitals, he said.

They included four patients in Bhubaneswar, two in Burla in Sambalpur district and one at Berhampur in Ganjam district, he said adding that the conditions of all the patients was stable.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has appealed the people not to panic and the government also launched an awareness campaign throughout the state using various mediums such as newspapers, television channels and SMS to make people aware of the situation.

However despite the appeals, people were seen wearing masks and rushing to hospitals for a checkup.

Many schools and educational institutions Bhubaneswar and its adjoining Cuttack city Friday avoided the morning assembly as part of the preventive measures. Several schools also witnessed thin attendance.