Swine flu: Death toll climbs up in various states

Thirteen people, including a 70-year-old Swiss tourist in Jodhpur, have succumbed to swine flu in Rajasthan, taking the total death toll in the state to 130.

As per reports, over 1,000 people have tested positive for swine flu in the state this year.

In Gujarat, eight more deaths were reported due to the disease while the death toll in the state since January shot up to 116.

Six people also succumbed to swine flu yesterday in Hyderabad, taking the death toll to 48 since January this year.

In Telangana six people died while in Andhra Pradesh one person succumbed to the disease.

Authorities in the two states have reportedly requested people to not panic and report to their nearest health centres if they witness any symptoms related to swine flu.

They have assured that medicines and required facilities for treatment are in place at the district and area hospitals.

Swine flu is caused by H1N1 virus. H1N1 symptoms are similar to those produced by other influenza viruses - fever, cough, sore throat, body aches and respiratory problems.

Symptoms for swine flu include high fever, headache, muscle pain, diarrhoea, vomiting, stomach pain and internal and external bleeding.

It is transmitted to people primarily from ticks and livestock animals with an incubation period of up to nine days. Human-to-human transmission takes up to two weeks.