The number of confirmed cases of the influenza A(H1N1) virus approached 5,300 worldwide, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said Tuesday. The United States, Mexico and Canada accounted for the majority of cases with 2,618 confirmed cases in the US, 2,059 in Mexico and 330 in Canada, DPA reported. Other countries in Latin America with confirmed cases included Panama with 15 cases, Costa Rica and Brazil that each had eight cases, while El Salvador had four cases, the ECDC said. The ECDC update did not mention a case reported in Cuba. In the Asia and Pacific region, New Zealand had seven cases, Japan four, South Korea three and China two. The influenza has to date claimed 61 lives of which 56 were in Mexico, three in the United States and one in Canada, the ECDC said. In Europe there were 210 confirmed cases reported with Spain accounting for almost half of all cases or 98. Britain had 65 cases, France 13, Germany 12 and Italy has reported nine cases. The ECDC tally of 14 countries in Europe with confirmed cases did not include Finland that Tuesday reported its first two cases of A(H1N1). The two Finnish cases came down with flu symptoms after recently visiting Mexico, and have been treated at home. Health authorities have also been in touch with their families.
