Bhubaneswar: One more person succumbed to H1N1 virus on Wednesday, taking the death toll due to swine flu in the state this season to four.
The deceased was identified as Shanta Priya Das (79) of Jagatsinghpur district. She died while undergoing treatment at a private hospital here.
Meanwhile, swine flu cases rose to 71 with 12 more persons testing positive for the influenza. The fresh cases were among the 27 swab samples tested at the Regional Medical Research Centre here on Tuesday, official sources said.
So far, 257 samples have been tested for the H1N1 virus in the state.
In a related development, the state government directed chief district medical officers to conduct special gram sabha in each gram panchayat on August 15 to spread awareness on health issues. Leaflets, posters and banners on malaria, dengue, diarrhoea, jaundice, Japanese encephalitis and swine flu will be distributed during these meetings, the sources added.