Swine flu toll rises to 112 in Rajasthan: 79 cases detected as state suffers one of the worst outbreaks

Jaipur: As many as 79 fresh cases of swine flu were detected in Rajasthan on Monday, according to data issued by the state’s health department. [caption id=“attachment_6069241” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. Reuters[/caption] Meanwhile, five people died of swine flu in the state, one each in Barmer, Jaisalmer, Jaipur, Udaipur, and Chittorgarh, taking the death toll to 112 in a span of over a month (from 1 January to 11 February). Thirty-six cases were detected positive on Monday in Jaipur, nine in Barmer, four in Jhunjhunu, three each in Dausa, Bikaner, Ganganagar and Udaipur, two each in Sikar, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Kota, Nagaur, Ajmer and Rajsamand, and one each in Bhilwara, Baran, Bharatpur and Alwar. Swine flu is an infection caused by one of the several swine influenza viruses (SIV), with the H1N1 strain being the most common across the country. The most number of deaths of this season’s swine flu outbreak were recorded in Rajasthan and Gujarat. H1N1 virus spreads when an individual touches an infected person or breathes in components of the virus that have reached the air through the coughs and sneezes of others. The symptoms are the same as the seasonal flu, also known as viral fever. This includes a cough, sore throat, and body ache.