With the numbers of confirmed swine flu cases swelling in Karnataka -- as it is in the rest of India -- the state government has said that H1N1 patients can be treated at recognised private hospitals as well.

What authorities are now recognising is that the disease is too complicated for government hospitals to handle alone.

The rising number of H1N1 affected cases have already given handle to the Opposition to take on the government in Rajya Sabha. The government has been maintaining that the spread of the disease was limited, though figures suggested otherwise.

Fourteen-year-old schoolgirl from Pune, Reeda Sheikh, was the first victim of the deadly disease which has affected thousand the world over.

The total number of swine flu cases in India stands at 711, according to Union Health ministry. Pune, which appeared to be the epicentre for this virus infection, accounted for many of the fresh cases.

The private Symbiosis complex in Pune, home to a cluster of educational institutions, announced that it would be closed for one week after two girls tested positive for H1N1.

The Health Ministry also said fresh cases were also reported from Chennai, Kolkata, Gurgaon, Mumbai, Bangalore, Mangalore, Hyderabad and Calicut.