Pune, July 28 - The number of swine flu cases in Maharashtra Tuesday touched 101, with the maximum cases (66) reported from Pune, a senior health official said.

In the hillstation of Panchgani, the health authorities have launched a 'combing operation' in all the 16 top residential public schools to detect swine flu cases after 16 students tested positive Monday.

Pune, already declared a pandemic city, Tuesday recorded six more cases, taking its total to 66, of which 48 are children, state Swine Flu Control Room head Pradeep Awatre told IANS.

Satara district health chief Vijaysinh Mohite said that after Monday's 16 positive cases in Panchgani's St. Peter's High School, a health team has begun combing operations to detect more such cases.

'Our health team is going around all the 16 residential public schools which house over 5,000 students, and we are checking them all for swine flu symptoms,' Mohite told IANS.

However, since the 16 students of St. Peter's High School are showing signs of recovery, it has not been shut down. However, it has been made a quarantine zone - local students are not allowed to enter and those inside are not permitted to go out - till there is no further spread and the situation is fully under control, he added.

Meanwhile, state Health Minister Rajendra Shingne Tuesday visited Pune, visited the affected schools, and met city and district health officials to monitor the progress of swine flu control measures in the state's information technology capital.