Bhubaneswar, Sept. 5: The death of 27 persons here due to swine flu over the past three months counters the tall claims of the health and family welfare department that is equipped to tackle the outbreak.

Today, two city residents died of swine flu at private health care facilities, taking the state's toll this season to 40. The two to die today are a five-year-old boy and an 86-year-old man. Besides, 30 samples were tested, of which five diagnosed positive.

So far, the health department tested 1,089 samples, out of which 355 were found positive. This year, the swine flu death toll has been the highest ever in the state. In the past one week, on an average two persons have died due to H1N1 virus and this has become a major worry for the state government.

According to the data collected from the department, the state had witnessed outbreak of swine flu in 2015 when it recorded 13 deaths, while 75 persons had been diagnosed positive. However in 2010, when the disease had spread across the country, the state remained less affected. The records say the designated lab - Regional Medical Research Centre that tests the swab samples - has found most of the victims to be in the age group between 60 and 70.

The majority of patients diagnosed with the disease have typical symptoms, including fever and respiratory distress. The symptoms are similar to common flu include but are not limited to sore throat, high fever, dry cough, wheezing and weakness. Vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain may occur as well, although these are more common in swine flu than in seasonal influenza.

'We have already made the treatment free for swine flu patients at three health care facilities, which includes Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar and Ispat General Hospital in Rourkela. We have stocked them with enough medicines and also instructed the private facilities to do the same. People need to take precautionary measures,' said health department's special secretary Kailash Chandra Dash.

Dash also said they had also put up advisory at the hospitals for the people and medical personnel to follow. 'Children below the age of 10 years and elderly people over 60 are most vulnerable to get exposed to the virus. Not many are following the measures, which is one of the major reasons for the rise in the number of deaths,' said Dash.

Another major concern for the city residents was that of the 40 deaths in the state, about 27 persons were from Bhubaneswar, said a health department official. Moreover, a majority of the deaths were reported from private health care facilities in Bhubaneswar and SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack.

'SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack recorded about six deaths and one flu death was reported from Vimsar in Burla. The remaining cases were reported from various private health care facilities in Bhubaneswar. Though they have been told to keep enough isolation wards to treat such patients, it seems that they are not abiding by the orders,' said a health department official.

On the other hand, doctors have asked the residents to be aware of the disease and stay safe rather than depend on medical facilities.

'There are certain measures to be followed to stay safe from the attack of H1N1 and H2N3 virus. One should cover the face, stay away from the people coughing and wash hands frequently,' said Sobhan Rath, a private practitioner here.