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the swine flu toll in the country climbed to 1,731 on Monday as 21 more deaths were reported even as the number of persons affected by the disease inched close to 30,000-mark,surpassing the earlier levels reached during 2009.

Data collated by the Union Health Ministry said that as on March 15, 1,731 people have perished to the disease while the total number of affected persons across the states stood at 29,938.

The Union health ministry had on Sunday said that that as on March 14, the disease has claimed the lives of 1,710 people and 29,558 have been infected by it across the country.

As per the health ministry figures, in 2009, 27,236 persons were affected due to the disease while 981 deaths were registered while in 2010, the disease affected more than 20,000 people while 1,763 deaths were reported.