Seven new cases of swine flu were reported from the city on Wednesday. With this, the number of swine flu cases in the city in July alone has gone upto 27.

Wednesday's number of positive cases is the highest reported in a single day during the recent H1N1 spurt. Currently 13 swine flu patients are under treatment in the state eight at the state run ID Hospital at Beliaghta and five in different private hospitals. The condition of two patients in two private hospitals is critical.

H1N1 claimed its first victim on Tuesday when a 58-year-old suffering from multiple myeloma died in a private hospital. An H1N1 infected 25-year-old renal failure patient admitted at a private hospital too has been in critical condition for the past one week. There has been no improvement in his condition. Now the condition of a new case amongst those tested positive on Wednesday is very critical.

The 20-year-old youth from Metiabruz was admitted to a private hospital on July 13 with high fever. When the patient developed respiratory distress the doctors at the hospital took his swab sample and sent to National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases (NICED). The sample tested on Wednesday confirmed swine flu.

"We have been keeping the patient in an isolation from the time doctors suspected him to be a case of swine flu. All other protocols are being followed," said the hospital's spokesperson.

Fifteen samples were tested during the day for swine flu. The fact that nearly 50% of the samples tested positive on Wednesday has put the state government health department on alert. Given the rising number of swine flu affected in the state, the department is speeding up the vaccination of doctors and other health workers.

"We have vaccinated about 3,000 doctors and other health workers so far. Work at ID Hospital and SSKM are almost complete. Vaccination in other government hospitals is on," said state swine flu nodal officer dr Asit Biswas.

What is worrying health officials this time is that unlike the outbreak last year, the virus is attacking those with no travel history. For example, the patient from Metiabruz had not travelled anywhere in the recent past. Since this is also the time for seasonal flu, sometimes it is difficult even for doctors to make a distinction in the symptoms of H1N1 and common influenza.

And unlike last year when all the infected were admitted to ID hospital, this time private hospitals have admitted swine flu patients. Though these hospitals have been told to create isolation wards, health officials said that keeping the patients under one roof in the isolation ward at ID Hospital made it much easier to monitor the patients.

"We are going to meet representatives of private hospitals in the city to discuss on the kind of infrastructure they have. We may also issue new guidelines on the isolation, sample collection and shifting of patients to the ID hospitals," said Biswas.