Uttar Pradesh: Swine flu cases surge to 250

Seven people have died due to swine flu in Uttar Pradesh while the total number of such cases in the state has surged to 250.

"Across Uttar Pradesh, 250 patients were admitted to hospital out of which seven people died; 220 were being cured and sent to home. The remaining are undergoing treatment," Health Minister Ahmad Hasan told media persons here.

"This is a curable disease and one does not need to panic," he added, while also appealing to patients to visit government hospitals and undergo treatment at the earliest if they show any symptoms of swine flu.

Swine flu deaths have seen a sharp rise in many states this year. Nearly 700 lives have been claimed in the country due to the disease with 197 people reportedly dying in Gujarat alone.

In view of the swine flu rush, the central government last week had placed an order to increase the national stock of diagnostic kits to test for the virus.

Authorities are also procuring additional masks and doses of the anti-viral drug Oseltamivir.

Swine flu is caused by H1N1 virus. Symptoms for swine flu include high fever, headache, muscle pain, diarrhoea, vomiting, stomach pain and internal and external bleeding.