Odisha swine flu toll rises to 19

The death toll in swine flu mounted to 19 in Odisha today with three persons succumbing to the H1N1 virus.
While two patients died at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, another death was reported from a private hospital in Bhubaneswar, a senior official said.
With this, the SCB Medical College and Hospital recorded five swine flu deaths, Manoranjan Patnaik, nodal officer of swine flu ward, said.
Health and Family Welfare Minister P K Jena said 235 people have been tested positive for the vector borne disease in state so far.
As many as 29 swab samples were examined today out of which 8 tested positive, he said.

Appealing to people not to panic over swine flu, the minister said the state government has launched an awareness drive to make people aware of the disease.