Lucknow, Sep 3 (IANS): The number of people confirmed positive with the deadly swine flu virus has risen to 56 in the Uttar Pradesh capital, officials said, as they stepped up efforts to check its further spread.

The spurt in the cases related to the deadly virus has sent alarm bells ringing in the state health department as the number has swelled up in just a fortnight. The virus as of now has infected 56 people, an official said.

The first swine flu case was reported Aug 22 when a retired doctor fell prey to the H1N1 virus and died later.

After this, five people tested positive though the disease showed localized presence in and around the Sultanpur road here and near the Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Science (SGPGIMS).

Of the recent patients tested positive for the disease, two have come from Bihar while one has come from Madhya Pradesh.

S.N. Yadav, chief medical officer (CMO) Lucknow has said that hospitals have been alerted about symptoms of swine flu and to take extra precautions while screening patients with similar symptoms.

T.N. Dhole, head of SGPGI's microbiology department said that precautions were being taken to arrest further spread of the virus. Three of the infected people were SGPGI staffers, two of them technicia