Swine flu cases continued to surge in the city with 177 people testing positive for the virus on Thursday.

"Swab samples of 177 people including 120 children tested positive for swine flu. With this, the total number of positive cases of H1N1 virus in the city mounted to 5,416. Of these 3,155 samples were of children alone," Delhi Health Minister Kiran Walia said.

"More than 90 per cent of the patients had been successfully treated and discharged," she said.

"Swine flu cases are being reported here because of the humidity in the air. The virus spreads due to moisture in the air," a WHO official said.

Till date, a total of 24 deaths have been reported due to the H1N1 influenza in the city.

However, Walia said the situation is under control and the government is doing its best in providing treatment to H1N1 patients in state-run hospitals. She advised people to visit a doctor at the earliest if any symptom of swine flu appears.