Delhi has had the highest number of swine flu patients this year while Gujarat has seen maximum deaths due to the disease among the states, according to official statistics.

According to Health Ministry, a total of 4,811 cases were reported in the country this year till June five with Delhi topping the list with 1,506 cases.

Protection against H1N1 and H5N1 in mice and ferrets is expected to last for three to six months.Precious time lost in developing an effective vaccine against influenza A viruses that jump from ani

Signaling a possible epidemic, the Health Ministry yesterday said that 11 Lankans had tested positive for Influenza A (H1N1) over a period of one month.

Chitwan livestock officials have confirmed that another poultry farm in Mangalpur area of the district has been affected by avian influenza, few weeks after bird flu cases were detected in Bharatpu

China's Ministry of Finance said Wednesday it has allocated 303 million yuan ($48.6 million) from the central coffers to better prevent human infections of the H7N9 avian flu.

The infection rate of swine flu continues to hover around 10%, scientists at the National Institute of Virology (NIV) here said on Thursday. This means, of the total suspected H1N1 patients, 10-15% are testing positive.

Since January, 76 of the 345 swine flu patients in the state have succumbed to the infection, making for a mortality rate of 22%. Pune city has reported 172 cases and 22 deaths so far this year — a mortality rate of 12%. Among the 76 casualties, the highest, 59, have occurred in March and April alone.

Asian countries on Thursday urged renewed vigilance against a spread of H7N9 bird flu after Taiwan reported a case of the deadly strain, the world's first outside mainland China.

The self-governing island urged its residents to take "enhanced precautions" when visiting China -- placing Shanghai, Beijing and five Chinese provinces on particular alert for travellers after at least 22 deaths were confirmed there.

International experts probing China’s deadly H7N9 bird flu virus said on Wednesday it was “one of the most lethal influenza viruses” seen so far as Taiwan reported the first case outside China.

‘Chances of being infected with the disease lower during summer’

A total of four H1N1 cases have been reported in the district since January 2013. Of the cases reported, all the patients suffering from the influenza have been cured or are currently recuperating from the viral infection.
District Surveillance Officer, Dr D G Nagaraj said that the potency of the virus declined with the increase in temperature. Therefore, the chances of being infected with the disease was lower in summer months. “All the four people who were infected, were infected during the months of winter,” he said.