Swine flu kills hundreds in India since mid-December

World Today

Health officials in India are struggling to contain an outbreak of a flu that has claimed more than 700 lives since mid-December. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)

The government of India is having a tough time controlling an epidemic of swine flu that has killed 774 people as of Feb. 20, the nation’s health authorities said on Saturday.

The number of the cases has increased to 12,963 since the flu broke out in December, according to the health authorities. The capital city, New Delhi, reported nine deaths.

The outbreak of the H1N1 virus has been the worst in five years, with the states of Gujarat and Rajasthan being the worst affected.

Following the criticism the government received for its failure in the distribution of medicine, health authorities have made efforts to ensure public hospitals across the country had adequate medical supplies and could provide free medical service for all patients.

Health authorities have also launched a campaign over television and radio to alert people about precautions they should take to avoid the deadly flu.

Report from The Associated Press