As many as 30 people have succumbed to the deadly swine flu virus in the past two months across the state, while 99 others tested positive for the disease, health officials said on Tuesday.
Six deaths have been reported in the city so far this year, the health department of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation said.
"Five of these deaths were reported in February, a month when winter generally recedes, while one death was reported in January," a health official said.
He added that 28 persons have tested positive for H1N1 virus in the city this month while 12 persons tested positive in January. Last week, State Health Minister Nitin Patel had said that 23 deaths had been reported till now due to swine flu, while 82 persons were undergoing treatment across the state in various government and private hospitals.
The state government had attributed the rise in the number of deaths due to prolonged winter. Meanwhile, Kutch, the most-affected district, has reported 11 deaths and 21 positive cases in the last two months, the district health official informed.
The swine flu death toll in Rajkot has touched 10, following a 57-year-old man's death last night. He was admitted to a private hospital with swine flu symptoms three days back.
A 40-year-old woman from Keshod town of Junagadh district, who was rushed to RajkotCivilHospital with swine flu symptoms, died even before her medical report arrived, sources said.
Twenty-five people, who tested positive, are undergoing treatment at RajkotCivilHospital's swine flu ward. The Rajkot Municipal Corporation has decided to launch an awareness drive in schools and colleges to educate people about the disease, a civic health official said.
In Jamnagar, three persons have died since the recent outbreak of the H1N1 virus, while 13 others have tested positive, a district health official said.
