Swine flu continues to spread, 9,830 cases worldwide - WHO
19:11, 19 May 2009
MOSCOW. May 19. KAZINFORM Forty countries have reported a total of 9,830 cases of A/H1N1 infection, known as swine flu, including 79 deaths, the World Health Organization said on TuesdayRIA Novosti; Kazinform refers to RIA Novosti.
The number of infected has risen by about a thousand people in the past 24 hours, and five new deaths have occurred.
"Unlike the avian virus, the new H1N1 virus spreads very easily from person to person, spreads rapidly within a country once it establishes itself, and is spreading rapidly to new countries," WHO head Margaret Chan said, adding that the pattern was likely to continue.
Human A/H1N1 infections have been officially confirmed in the following countries:
The U.S. - 5,123 cases, five deaths
Mexico - 3,648 cases, 72 deaths
Canada - 496 cases, one death
Costa Rica - nine cases, one death
Japan - 159 cases
Spain - 103 cases
The U.K. - 102 cases
Panama - 59 cases
France - 14 cases
Germany - 14 cases
Colombia - 11 cases
Italy - nine cases
New Zealand - eight cases
Brazil - eight cases
Israel - seven cases
China - seven cases
El Salvador - 6 cases
Belgium - five cases
Chile - four cases; Kazinform cites RIA Novosti.
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