Even as panic created by swine flu gradually ebbs in Mumbai and to some extent in Pune, H1N1 virus, health officials say, is spreading to newer parts of Maharashtra. Most of these new infections have their origin in Pune.

Health officials monitoring the spread of the H1N1 epidemic in the state believe students brought the H1N1 virus to Pune from the US. And students from other states carried the virus from Pune to their respective places.

A group of nine students from Maharashtra—five from Pune, one each from Mumbai, Dhule, Mahad and Nashik—who travelled to US are believed to be the earliest carriers of virus to Pune.

“Students from Mahad and Dhule were not H1N1 patients. However, other students tested positive and seem to be the original source of the spread of the virus,” said Dr Pradeep Awate, state swine flu cell chief.

From Pune, swine flu then spread to other parts of the state. “Apart from students who had travelled to US, most of the other confirmed cases have travelled to Pune,” said Dr Awate.

A student of Symbiosis College in Pune, who had gone home to Osmanabad after H1N1 cases began sprouting, was Osmanabad’s first swine flu case. Five other cases have since been identified there.

Students from Solapur who visited Pune for National Talent Search Examination 2009 carried the virus to Solapur, which has reported six cases so far.