A woman succumbed to swine flu at the government-run Gandhi Hospital in Hyderabad on Friday, taking the death toll due to the dreaded disease in Telangana to 10 since August 2016, a health official said.

The 46-year-old woman from Bahadurpura locality was undergoing treatment since January 16.

It is the fourth death due to swine flu at the hospital since January 1. All victims were women.

Gandhi Hospital Superintendent Venkateshwaralu Reddy said a special ward was opened for patients suspected of suffering from swine flu.

Health officials attributed the rise in swine flu cases to cold weather and advised people to take all precautions.

According to health officials, a total of 3,033 samples were tested from August 1, 2016, to January 18, 2017. Of these, 152 samples were found positive.

On Wednesday alone, six of the 43 cases tested were found positive.

The health department has advised people to approach hospitals at the onset of the first symptoms of swine flu like high fever, sneezing, cough and body ache.

It asked hospitals to isolate persons suspected to be suffering from swine flu and send their samples to the Institute of Preventive Medicine (IPM).

Officials said sufficient medicines were stocked at all teaching, district and area hospitals.