Swine flu: 106 fresh cases,seven deaths

As many as 106 fresh cases of swine flu and seven deaths due to the disease were reported from across the country on Monday. With this,the total number of swine flu cases reached 3,987 while the death count crossed the 100 mark,a senior health ministry official said.

Concerned about the high death count,Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on Monday held a high-level meeting to take stock of the situation. The meeting was attended among others by health secretary Naresh Dayal,director of National Institute of Communicable Diseases Shivlal,secretary health research V M Katoch and joint secretary Vineet Chowdhary,officials said.

Of the new cases reported during the day,three patients have history of foreign travel while the rest are indigenous.

The fresh deaths have been reported from Maharashtra 4,Karnataka 2 and Chhattisgarh 1.

As many as 15 patients,currently undergoing treatment for the viral disease,are in a critical condition in varioushospitals in worst-hit Pune,where 31 people have died due to the infection,officials said. Maharashtra has reported the maximum number of 48 cases followed by Tamil Nadu 15 and Delhi 12. Of the total samples tested so far,939 have been detected while screening at the

airports.