A 22-year-old woman from Bantwal taluk in Karnataka’s Dakshina Kannada district has died from suspected swine flu infection. The woman, identified as Zabina, is suspected to have contracted the infection from her mother 44-year-old Avvamma, who had been infected with the virus and succumbed to the same on October 10. Officials from the Health Department have confirmed that Avvamma had tested positive for swine flu.

It was also reported that Zabina’s father, Mayyadi, too had died on August 1 at their residence in Sajipadu of Bantwal taluk, though the cause for death is not known. Some health officials are suspecting that he may have also died from swine flu.

Dr Deepa Prabhu, from the Dakshina Kannada Health Department, confirmed to TNM that Zabina died on Tuesday morning after having developed a fever in the first week of October.

She was earlier admitted to the KS Hegde Medical College and Hospital in the first week of September after having developed labour pains. It was found that the baby was stillborn and she underwent C-section for the same.

Karnataka has witnessed an outbreak of swine flu with a total of 496 cases being reported across the state. Officials say 6 people have died due to swine flu so far.

Earlier on Sunday, Deputy Chief Minister Dr G Parameshwara had held a meeting with Health Department officials to issue guidelines for Primary Health Centres (PHC), and all taluk and district hospitals to follow in the face of the outbreak.

Swine flu, or H1N1, is caused by the influenza A virus. A global pandemic in 2009 was what brought attention to the disease. Though a vaccine has been developed since then, it is not routinely administered as part of the immunisation schedule. Medical personnel have been advised to take the vaccine as they may come in frequent contact with infected persons.