A total of 17 new A/H1N1 flu cases were confirmed in European countries within the last 24 hours, Xinhua quoted the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) as saying today. Five new cases were reported from Spain and Britain respectively, three from Italy, two in France and one each from the Netherlands and Germany, the ECDC said in its daily situation report. In all, the number of confirmed cases of the A/H1N1 flu virus in the EU and European Free Trade Association (EFTA) rose to 173,the ECDC said. Six new cases of in-country transmission were reported in the region, five in Britain and all related to previous confirmed cases inside a school, and another one from Italy. The total number of confirmed cases due to in-country transmission increased to 28. In the whole region, probable flu cases have currently decreased to six, four in Britain and one each in France and Finland, the ECDC added. The ECDC publishes a daily situation report about A/H1N1 flu cases in the EU and EFTA countries based on official information from these countries.