Ludhiana, Jan 29 - Swine flu scare has gripped this Punjab town as a middle-aged man died of the disease late Monday at a private hospital here, officials said.

The deceased identified as Bharpur Singh, who originally hailed from Faridkot district, had come to Ludhiana to attend a family function and fell ill.

"Deceased had symptoms of like soar throat, running nose and high fever. We conducted tests and he was positive for H1N1 virus," said Ludhiana district's civil surgeon Ajay Sahni.

"These days we are getting more number of patients with these symptoms," Sahni added.

Two more swine flu cases have been reported in Ludhiana in the last 24 hours, while three cases have been confirmed in Bathinda district.

Even the state capital Chandigarh is facing the threat of swine flu.

This season, 40 patients have been tested positive in city hospitals, out of which, seven died.

"On Monday three samples were tested positive. These include one patient from Chandigarh whereas two from different parts of Haryana," said a government doctor in Chandigarh. (IANS)