95 swine flu deaths in Karnataka till Aug 25

BANGALORE - A total of 95 people had died of swine flu in Karnataka till Aug 25 this year, state Health Minister B. Sriramulu said Friday.

So far this year, 1,702 people had been affected by the H1N1 flu, he told reporters here after a meeting with health ministry officials to assess the preparedness of the state to tackle the flu as well chikungunya and dengue in view of the revival of the monsoon.

In 2009, there were 1,799 H1N1 cases in the state and 135 of the patients died, Sriramulu said.

District administrations and health authorities have been told to be pro-active to prevent the spread of contagious diseases as several parts of the state have been receiving heavy rains in the last three days, he said.

There were 927 chikungunya cases in the state but no death has occurred from the disease, Sriramulu said.

There has been one death due to dengue while 1,294 had been affected by it, the minister said.

Deputy commissioners, district surgeons, and the heads of the administration and medicare, respectively, in Karnataka’s 30 districts will be held responsible for any death from contagious diseases, Sriramulu said.

Sriramulu, a close associate of the Reddy brothers, mining barons and ministers, has been under attack from the opposition that he was busy in organizing rallies in his home district of Bellary while swine flu, dengue and chikungunya cases were spreading in the state.