A 50-year-old man died of swine flu at a private hospital in the city, taking the toll in Bengal to 14.

The New Alipore resident, Debashis Chakraborty, died at Medica Superspecialty Hospital.

Health officials said 14 new swine flu cases had been detected on Sunday, taking the total number of people affected to 213.

On Saturday, there were reports of five deaths in city hospitals. But a health department official claimed that one of the five deaths reported was not caused by swine flu.

He said the number of H1N1 positive cases and the deaths in Bengal were much less compared with some other states. In India, about 26,000 people have been hit by swine flu this year. The national death count stands at 1,700. Gujarat has the highest number of cases followed by Rajsthan and Maharashtra.

With the number of cases going up - health experts say it is an outbreak as a large number of cases are being reported across a large geographical area - the health department has decided to allow more private hospitals to conduct H1N1 tests.

"We will issue permission to AMRI Hospitals, Salt Lake, to conduct the tests from next week," said a health department official.

Till the middle of last week, only the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Calcutta, was allowed to conducts tests. Peerless hospital was granted permission late last week.

AMRI Salt Lake had been asked not to conduct tests in the past as it had not taken permission from Swastha Bhavan. But after an inspection, the health department has decided to allow the hospital to carry out tests.

Health officials say one of the main reasons behind swine flu deaths was delay in hospitalisation and starting treatment.

"There are three delays that can prove fatal," a health department official said. "Delay in taking the patient to a doctor or hospital, delay in transportation once the decision has been taken and delay in starting treatment after reaching hospital."

He said anyone suffering from fever, respiratory distress and bodyache should immediately get hospitalised for getting H1N1 tests done.

"In most death cases, we found there were delays in bringing the patient to hospital," the official said. "If anyone with fever has respiratory distress, he/she should immediately seek medical advice."

According to experts, the elderly, children below five, pregnant women and those suffering from chronic renal failure, cardiac ailments, diabetes, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, are vulnerable to the H1N1 virus.

A virologist from Pune said the pleasant weather that Calcutta had been enjoying last week, was conducive for the H1N1 virus to thrive.

"Dry and warm climate causes harm to the virus. Till the temperature reaches 37 to 38 degrees Celsius, the H1N1 virus will continue to spread," he said.