Swine flu deaths touch 88 in Rajasthan in January, February; 16 people succumb to influenza virus in Himachal Pradesh

Jodhpur: Rajasthan has recorded 88 deaths between 1 January and 5 February due to swine flu while 16 people have lost their lives in Himachal Pradesh during the same period. Jodhpur district registered 26 deaths - the highest in the state. Total cases tested were 11,811 and the number of positive cases were 2,522. [caption id=“attachment_4019127” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. Reuters[/caption] Swine flu deaths in Himachal Pradesh are increasing each day. Elaborating upon the issue, the state’s health minister Vipan Singh Parmer said, “329 cases were tested and 213 were found positive for H1N1 influenza and total 16 deaths have been reported till date since 1 January.” Parmer further said that an awareness campaign has been started in the state. Swine flu cases generally rise in the winter season and a majority of people contract the disease in the months of December and January. Rajasthan is among the states which has been reporting a large number of swine flu cases. Swine flu is an infection caused by one of several swine influenza viruses (SIV), with the H1N1 strain being the most common across the country. H1N1 virus spreads when an individual touches an infected person or breathes droplets of coughs and sneezes that are in the air. Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and Maharashtra are among the states that have been majorly affected by the viral respiratory condition.