Bhubaneswar: Swine flu cases in Odisha rose to 18 with five more persons testing positive for the H1N1 virus on Thursday.
Official sources said 138 blood samples have been examined so far.
To tackle the influenza, the state government has issued special guidelines to different hospitals while the health department is making efforts to create awareness to prevent the spread of swine flu.
Special isolation wards have been set up in all district headquarters hospitals and Capital Hospital in the state capital to treat the patients. The SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack too has put in place a special ward with six general and two ICU beds for the purpose, the sources added.