NEW DELHI, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- At least 222 positive cases of swine flu have been reported in India's western state of Maharashtra, officials said Wednesday.

"As of now 222 positive cases of swine flu have been detected in the state this season and out of them 179 were detected after Aug. 1," a local government official said.

The officials said swine flu claimed 48 lives in the state this year.

"Forty eight people died because of swine flu, out of which 18 were from Pune and adjoining area," the official said.

Health officials attributed the higher number of positive cases in the past month to wet conditions that prevailed in the state, which is said to have created favourable condition for the H1N1 virus.

Authorities have asked health officials to intensified surveillance and asked doctors to administer Oseltamivir within 48 hours if a patient has swine flu-like symptoms.

Swine flu is a respiratory disease caused by a strain of the influenza type A virus, H1N1.