Nine patients were admitted to the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, of which five were tested positive for Hepatitis B. The remaining four are still under suspicion. So far, nine out of the 17 patients, who were admitted to the civil hospital, have succumbed to the virus.

Shailesh Naliya (25), who is undergoing treatment at the civil hospital, is the first person from Banaskantha to have been infected by the virus.

“We have pressed into service a separate team of doctors, especially for the Modasa cases. There is no shortage of doctors or nurses as they have been working round the clock. We are putting up health bulletins everyday for the public,” said Dr M M Anchaliya, superintendent, Ahmedabad Civil Hospital.

Bharat Prajapati (23), who was undergoing treatment at the Modasa Sarvajanik hospital for three days, has now been shifted to the civil hospital after his condition deteriorated on Wednesday. Also, Bhathi Koth, the only son of a widow from Modasa, was shifted to the hospital on Tuesday.

The maximum number of cases reported so far are from Modasa and are admitted to various hospitals across the town, including Himmatnagar, Vatraka and Idar.

Dr D N Dave, medical director, Rasiklal Trust Sarvajanik Hospital, Modasa (a government grant-in-aid hospital), said: “Four patients have died here in the last four days after they refused to move to the civil hospital in Ahmedabad even after we offered to take them there for free.