The swine flu death toll in the country has mounted to 1,482 while the number of affected persons crossed the 26,000-mark on Tuesday.
The Union Health Ministry said that, as on March 9, the total number of deaths due to the H1N1 virus stands at 1,482 with as many as 26,455 people having been affected across the States.
Rajasthan Food and Civil Supplies Minister Hem Singh Bhadana tested positive for the flu and is undergoing treatment.
Health Ministry data showed that the toll was the highest in Gujarat with 347 deaths and 5,715 affected.
The disease has claimed 343 lives in Rajasthan, whose total of 6,030 patients is the highest so far in the country.
The toll stands at 221 while a total of 2,703 persons have come down with the disease in Maharashtra, where the Bombay High Court on Tuesday directed the State government to file an affidavit within four weeks on the measures it has taken to tackle the disease. Madhya Pradesh has seen 201 deaths and registered 1,608 cases. Meanwhile, Health Ministry officials said the latest figure also included the deaths which occurred in Delhi this year of people belonging to other States.
The number of those affected by swine flu in Delhi was 3,586 with the toll at 10.
In Karnataka, 1,801 persons have been affected by swine flu while the death toll has reached 58. Telangana has seen 1,842 cases and registered 63 fatalities.
In Kashmir, the death toll was 11 while Kerala has recorded 10 casualties. Haryana has seen 41 deaths with 49 people falling prey to the disease in neighbouring Punjab.
