A (H1N1) flu continues to spread worldwide

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(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-05-30 14:47

The A/H1N1 flu continues to spread worldwide, with the number of confirmed cases soaring in Canada and the United States.

Canada added 218 new cases of A/H1N1 flu on Thursday and Friday, bringing the country's total to 1,336, according to the latest figures from the Public Health Agency of Canada.

The outbreak has spread to the sparsely-populated northern Territory of Nunavut, which reported its first case on Friday.

Out of Canada's 10 provinces and three territories, nine provinces and two territories have now reported infection cases.

The number of confirmed and suspected human A/H1N1 flu cases has risen to 8,975 in 48 U.S. states plus the District of Columbia, with 15 deaths, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported on Friday.

The CDC anticipated that there will be more cases, more hospitalizations and more deaths associated with this new virus in the coming days and weeks.

In Europe, 24 new A/H1N1 flu cases were confirmed Friday within the last 24 hours.

Of the new cases, 12 were confirmed in Britain, six in France, two in Belgium, and one each in Estonia, Germany, Greece and Slovakia, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said in its daily situation report.

The total number of confirmed cases of the H1N1 flu virus in the European Union and European Free Trade Association countries rose to 480, with 143 cases in Spain and 215 in Britain, 26 each in Italy and France, the ECDC said.

Estonia reported its first confirmed case in a traveler returning from New York.

The flu has spread to 18 Latin American and Caribbean countries as of Friday, with more infection cases and higher death toll.

Dominican Republic confirmed on Friday its first two cases of the flu.

Mexico is still the most affected country which reported 5,029 confirmed cases and 97 deaths.

Mexico City remains the most infected region of the country, with 1,741 infections. The dead accounted for some 1.9 percent of those infected, and about one third of them had suffered from obesity or diabetes before they were sickened.

The Chilean Health Ministry reported on Friday 25 new cases of A/H1N1 flu, bringing the country's total confirmed infections to 224.

The ministry said that the country might gradually loosen up quarantine controls at border crossings, sea ports and airports, as the virus is already spreading in the country.

In Panama, 23 new cases of A/H1N1 flu were reported Friday, raising the country's infection cases to 130.

Venezuelan health authorities declared on Friday a state of emergency after reporting the first case of A/H1N1 influenza in the country on Thursday. Its health ministry gave orders to all private and public doctors "to be on alert."

In the Asia-Pacific region, China reported three more confirmed cases and its first case of domestic infection on the mainland. Two new confirmed cases were reported in South Korea, 20 in Australia, and four in the Philippines.

Meanwhile in Japan, two senior high schools in Kobe city of Hyogo Prefecture hit hard by the flu reopened Saturday after closing for about two weeks.

Japan remained the most affected country in the Asia-Pacific region, reporting 364 confirmed cases.

According to the latest figures released by the World Health Organization, the flu has infected 15,510 people and killed 99 in 53 countries. Most of the new cases were reported by the United States.