Swine flu turned more lethal on Thursday as five more persons died of deadly virus in Pune, taking the death toll in the city to 40.

While informing the media persons, the health functionaries stated that a standard I pupil of a zilla parishad school in Junnar taluka and a girl studying in a preschool at Bhosari besides a 3-year-old kid and a 17-year-old boy were among five people who lost their lives owing to the H1N1 flu in the city on Thursday.

In the meantime, a 23-year-old woman who died on September 8 was from a village in Satara region. She was also declared H1N1 positive late on Wednesday night, taking the death toll in the district to three.

Dr. Ashok Mehta, joint director of state health service said, "The senior KG student, Vidya Bajirao Vatore (5), a resident of Kuruli-Bhosari, breathed her last at 7.30 am."

"Within four hours, Om Pravin Kurhe (6), the standard I student of the ZP primary school in Savargaon village of Junnar taluka, died at 10.40 am. Seema Ravi Shirsat (3) of Khudewadi-Chandannagar died at 1.30 pm. All of them had been admitted to the Sassoon hospital," Dr. Mehta added.

Dr. Mehta also said that a 48-year-old man, who had been shifted to the Sahyadri Munot hospital for the treatment of swine flu, died around 12:30 pm.

"All the four patients had tested positive for the H1N1 influenza," he said.

Mr. D D Chandakkar, deputy health officer of the Pune Municipal Corporation said that Amar Khalkonikar (17), who had been suffering from muscular dystrophy for the last 4 years and was on bed for some months, died because of H1N1 at the Jehangir Hospital around 2.30 pm.

According to Dr. Mehta, Vidya Vatore showed flu signs and she was initially taken to a private hospital in Bhosari on Sep 2.

"She was treated at the private hospital till September 6 and moved to another private hospital in the city on September 7."

Dr. Mehta stated that the small girl suffering from fever and cough was initially taken to Dr. Mankikar Hospital on Sep 2. Later she was admitted to Oyster and Pearl Hospital.