Odisha swine flu toll rises to seven

Bhubaneswar: The swine flu toll in Odisha increased to seven with three more persons today succumbing to the disease in the state, official sources said. A 51-year-old man undergoing treatment at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack succumbed to Swine flu late last night. The deceased hailed from Tirtol area in Jagatsinghpur district. The second victim was a 58-year-old woman from Burla who died at a private hospital in Bhubaneswar this afternoon. A 32-year-old man died of swine flu at Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (VIMSAR), Burla in Sambalpur district today. The man hailed from Bardol village in Bargarh district. Nodal Officer of Swine Flu at VIMSAR, Dr Sudarshan Pothal confirmed the death of the first swine flu casualty at VIMSAR. "The patient was brought to VIMSAR from a private nursing home with ventilator in serious condition on Wednesday. We did our best. However, the blood pressure decreased leading to his death. He died on the intervening night of Thursday and Friday," he said. Meanwhile, a report said at least two doctors, one at the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack and another at the Capital Hospital here, have tested positive to the H1N1 virus. Of the 30 samples tested today, 12 tested positive to swine flu taking the total number of H1N1 virus affected persons in Odisha to 96. Meanwhile, the authorities of the Health department are mulling to administer vaccine to medicos and medical staff deployed at the swine flu ward in hospitals after two doctors tested positive for swine flu. Swab samples of a doctor working at the Orthopaedic department in Capital Hospital and a junior doctor of SCB, Cuttack, were found positive for the vector-borne disease.