No let-up in swine flu spread

(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-06-24 09:15

The H1N1 swine flu continues to rage across the world, infecting more than 52,000 people in 100 countries and territories and killing 231 people since late March, the World Health Organization reported yesterday.

The latest figures represent an increase of nearly 8,000 cases and 51 deaths, highlighting the steady spread of the H1N1 virus.

China's Health Ministry says the country has 220 new cases, taking its total to 739, of which 441 are in the mainland.

The Philippines has reported the first swine flu death in Asia and Iran joined the countries reporting their first cases.

Singapore, meanwhile, was so worried that it quarantined the entire Hong Kong football team.

The United States led a group of countries that have seen dramatic increases in infected cases, according to the new WHO figures.

There were 3,594 new cases taking the US total to 21,449 with 87 deaths. Mexico was stable with 7,600 cases and 113 deaths.

Britain remains the worst-hit country in Europe. It has recorded 754 extra cases taking its total to 2,506, including one death.

The WHO said that its figures could not be considered reliable because some countries were no longer keeping total figures while other poor countries did not have the means to reliably detect cases.