Two H1N1 patients die in Kerala

Two persons, who tested positive for H1N1, died in Kerala even as 14 more swine flu cases have been reported, officials said today.

According to a release from the Directorate of Health Services, a 59-year-old man of Pallimoola in Thrissur district died in a private hospital on July 10.

He tested positive for the swine flu virus and the death was caused by broncho pneumonia and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), it said.

In another case, a 42-year-old woman, whose H1NI status was confirmed, died in a private hospital in Sulthan Bathery in Wayanad district yesterday, also due to ARDS, it said.

According to the release, 14 more cases of H1N1 have been reported since yesterday, taking the total number of afflicted patients to 359 since January this year.

Nine of the newly reported cases were from Thrissur and five from Kannur.

Kozhikode accounted for 115 cases reported since January this year, followed by Malappuram 66, Kasargode 38, Kannur 40, Thrissur 40, Wyanad 24, Kottayam 10, Ernakulam 10, Alapuzha 10, Kannur five, Palakkad three, Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam one each, the release said.

The department has stepped up measures to detect, test and treat the patients suffering from the infection.