Two die of swine flu, 11 new cases surface

NEW DELHI - As the winter approaches, swine flu cases in the country have started going down significantly, with just two deaths and 11 cases reported Nov 22-28, health ministry said Tuesday.

The swine flu, which has claimed nearly 1,236 lives this year, was at its peak during the monsoon months of May-September. The H1N1 virus which causes the flu needs moisture and heat to grow, said experts.

With a drop in temperatures across the counrty, the number of infection cases has gone down significantly and during Nov 22-28 only two deaths were reported — one each from Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, the ministry said.

Of the 11 cases reported during the period, five were from Rajasthan, three from Maharashtra, two from Tamil Nadu and one from Haryana.

Around 1,489 flu cases were reported during 2009, the year in which it was declared a global pandemic by the WHO.

A total of 2,725 lives have been lost in the country to the flu since 2009. Over 45,908 people were affected by the virus during this period.