Over 77,000 flu cases worldwide, says WHO

SOME 77,201 people worldwide have caught swine flu, with 332 having died from it, latest statistics posted yesterday by the World Health Organisation showed.

The data indicated that 6,308 new A(H1N1) cases were reported, including 21 deaths, since the last bulletin last Monday.

The largest increase in caseload was reported by the United Kingdom, with 2,288 new infections including two deaths, bringing its total to 6,538 infections including three deaths.

Chile also added 1,025 cases including five deaths, taking its total number of infections to 6,211 including 12 deaths.

Some affected countries no longer keep track of all cases according to the UN health agency, while others do not report for each of the thrice-weekly bulletins. Meanwhile Thailand's health authorities yesterday reported two more deaths from flu, raising the country's total to five, as the number of confirmed cases surpassed 1,470.

A 45-year-old man died from the virus in Bangkok yesterday morning and a 15-year-old girl died in Chonburi province, 80km southeast of the capital, a public health official said.

The victims were among the 22 confirmed cases who have received medical treatment for the A(H1N1) virus in hospitals around the country.

Health authorities said yesterday there were 59 new confirmed cases of swine flu, bringing Thailand's total to 1,473 cases. They were found in 40 of the kingdom's 76 provinces.

Australia yesterday said a cancer patient had become the country's seventh swine flu-related death, as the number of cases in the worst-hit Asia-Pacific nation soared to 4,370.

The 68-year-old man died in hospital late last Tuesday, Victoria state's deputy chief health officer Rosemary Lester said.

"The man was being treated for a life-threatening cancer and was later diagnosed with H1N1 influenza 09," she said. "He died while receiving treatment in hospital."

The announcement means six of Australia's seven swine flu deaths have been in Victoria, which has recorded nearly 40 per cent of the country's A(H1N1) cases.

Lester said that while the vast majority of swine flu cases were mild, "we know that for people with chronic medical conditions, influenza can be severe".

Eight people with swine flu have died in Australia, but all had other conditions. The virus was later ruled out as the cause of death in one of the cases.AFP