Worldwide confirmed cases approach 6,000 as A/H1N1 engulfs more

Source: Xinhua | 05-13-2009 11:25

BEIJING, May 13 (Xinhua) -- The worldwide confirmed A/H1N1 cases have reached around 5,914 as two more countries in Asia and Europe reported their first known cases on Tuesday.

Thailand and Finland reported two cases each after Cuba earlier confirmed its first case in a Mexican student in Havana, bringing the total number of countries with confirmed cases to 33.

In the United States, which has surpassed Mexico with most known cases, Tuesday reported that a total of 3,009 have tested positive of the virus in 45 of its 50 states, with three deaths.

The number of confirmed cases on Monday was 2,600 in 44 states, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The increase showed that the ongoing outbreak of A/H1N1 influenza continues to expand in the United States. CDC officials have said they expect the A/H1N1 flu to spread to all 50 states, to cause severe disease and more deaths.

The Mexican government on Tuesday raised the death toll from the new influenza A/H1N1 to 58, adding two, and put the number of confirmed cases of the novel flu to 2,282, up from 2,059 on Monday.

Nurseries and primary and secondary schools reopened for the first day on Monday after a more-than-two-week suspension. At a morning press conference Tuesday, Mexico's health minister, Jose Angel Cordova Villalobos, said that sanitary cordons had identified 100,000 children with symptoms of the flu by the end of Monday.

Around half of the children were well enough to attend classes, but were taught separately. The remainder were sent home.