Australia's H1N1 flu cases jumped by nearly a third to pass 400 on Monday, making it the Asia-Pacific region's worst-hit country and intensifying a major health emergency.
Confirmed cases leapt from 302 early in the day to 401, surpassing Japan as Asia's H1N1 flu hotspot and handing Australia the fourth largest number of confirmed cases in the world behind the United States, Mexico and Canada.
The scare has prompted a series of emergency measures with 14 schools closed, most in Victoria. Officials are considering raising alert levels and have released 5,000 stockpiled face masks for the south-eastern state.
Figures released Friday by the World Health Organization (WHO) showed that H1N1 flu had infected 15,510 people in 53 countries since it was first sprang to prominence last month in North America.
Experts however say there is no suggestion yet that the flu outbreak has taken a life of its own, while pharmaceutical firms race to find a vaccine and the WHO warns the world to be ready for the H1N1 flu to become more severe.
From ChannelNewsAsia.com - Tuesday, June 2, 2009
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