Nationwide swine flu toll rises to 24

With an elderly woman and a teenager dying of swine flu in Pune and Raipur, the swine flu toll in the country has risen to 24 even as the Centre decided to organise an orientation programme for experts from private laboratories for conducting flu tests.

70-year-old Parubhai Shinde, who was admitted to a hospital in Pune four days ago following high fever and other symptoms of swine flu, died late last night, health officials said. With this, the toll in Pune, severely hit by the virus, has mounted to 15.

The Health Ministry has decided to conduct from today an orientation programme for experts from private laboratories engaged by the government for carrying out diagnostics test for patients suspected to be infected by the virus.