Swine flu has taken three more lives with Bangalore confirming four more deaths,including one on Wednesday,as H1N1 influenza A related,taking the toll in the city to 19.
In Pune,the city worst-hit by the virus,the fatalities rose to 25 with the death of 35-year-old Shabana Sheikh,who was on a ventilator since her admission to government-run Sassoon Hospital on August 22. In Mumbai,Sandeep Gaikwad,who was admitted to L K Hiranandani Hospital in suburban Powai on August 3,died late on Tuesday night after having tested positive for the virus. Nagaraj,a 38-year-old who was suffering from breathlessness,died at the Sagar Hospital in Bangalore where he was admitted on August 15.
Authorities in Pune have issued a fresh appeal to the people to get on with their daily activities while taking care to avoid crowded places. Attendance in Pune schools and colleges,which reopened on Monday after a fortnights gap,remained low as a result of the scare created by the pandemic,officials said.
Bangalore seems to be becoming the second hotspot for the virus with around 20 positive cases being reported every day of this week. Among the recent deaths confirmed as swine flu related on Wednesday are Munirathnam 48 at the St Philomenas Hospital four days ago,Pushpalatha Bhaktesh 35 at the St Marthas Hospital on August 23 and Venkatesh 45 at the KIMS hospital on August 24.