Mumbai: Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan and his wife Kiran Rao have contracted swine flu. The actor, who was scheduled to appear at the Satyamev Jayate Water Cup Awards in Pune on Sunday, informed those attending the event through video-conferencing that he had contracted the H1N1 virus.

Mr Khan’s illness went viral on social media site Twitter, after senior journalist Anupama Chopra tweeted that the actor and his wife Kiran, would not be able to make it to the Pune event due to swine flu. In her tweet, she said, “Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao couldn’t be here because of swine flu.” The actor is believed to have requested Shahrukh Khan to attend the event on his behalf, Ms Chopra informed.

Mr Khan confirmed his illness through video conferencing, saying, “After so much of hard work, we were waiting for this event the entire year. When the time came for us to celebrate, we are ill, with swine flu. Such illnesses spread rapidly, which is why we chose not to come. I and Kiran will have to remain in the house for an entire week,” he said.

Swine flu, a vector-borne disease, has so far claimed 330 lives in Maharashtra, making it the worst swine flu-hit state in the country. According to the BMC, there were at least 491 confirmed cases of swine flu in Mumbai till early July.