Eight people have died of Influenza A (H1N1) in the state since January this year, including one person who succumbed to it at the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases (RGICD) in the city on Monday.
The patient was diabetic and had come to the hospital at the last stage, the RGICD doctors said.
According to the latest update, over 542 people reported positive for the flu of the 5,191 swab samples tested.
Bengaluru tops the list with 86 positive cases followed by Shivamogga – 60, Bengaluru Urban – 54 cases and 35 cases in Chikkamagaluru.
According to Dr S Sajjan Shetty, joint director, health department, orientation programme including awareness drives will be conducted at gram panchayat level, taluk, district and in every city of the state.
Meantime, the health and family welfare department has written to all the district health officers to conduct information and education campaign (IEC) in a big way.
In a letter to the district health officers, Jawaid Akhtar, Principal Secretary, Health and Family Welfare wrote: "It has been instructed that IEC should be taken up in a big way to educate public about the virus, the manner in which it spreads, and precautions to be observed to control the spread. Organise ward wise IEC meetings in urban areas and village level health and sanitation committee meetings in rural areas."