New Delhi, Dec 1 (IANS) Five swine flu deaths were reported in the country Tuesday, taking the toll to 580, health authorities said here.
A record 198 new cases were also recorded. This takes the number of people affected with the virus to 18,396.

While two deaths were reported from Rajasthan, one death each was recorded in Delhi, Punjab and Maharashtra.

According to officials, the death in Punjab had occurred earlier, but was confirmed Tuesday. In Punjab, four people have died due to the flu so far.

With the one death in Maharashtra, the toll there has now touched 224 - which is the highest in the country. Fortysix people have succumbed to the contagious virus in Rajasthan so far, officials added.

In the national capital, a 30-year-old pregnant woman died in a city hospital, taking the toll due to influenza A(H1N1) to 23, state health officials said.

“The woman was admitted to the Lok Nayak Jaiprakash Narain Hospital here Saturday with bad respiratory tract infection,” said Anjan Prakash, Delhi state nodal officer for swine flu.

“The woman died around 3.30 a.m. Tuesday. She was shifted here from another hospital after her condition deteriorated,” she said.

The capital recorded 98 new swine flu cases, taking the total number of people affected with the disease to 5,106, the highest in the country.

With rising flu cases, the Delhi government has decided to launch a fresh awareness campaign in the capital.

“Over the few days, we have been getting almost 100 cases of swine flu a day on an average. Yet, I won’t call this number alarming because, as announced by WHO, with winters approaching the second wave of the flu will hit many more people,” said Prakash.

New cases in the country were also reported from Haryana (30), Maharashtra (20), Uttar Pradesh (13), Rajasthan (10) and Gujarat (4).