The number of H1N1 cases worldwide now stands at 787 with two additional deaths reported in Mexico, the World Health Organization announced early Sunday.
The organization said the virus, more commonly known as swine flu, has been confirmed in 17 countries. The higher number of cases is a result of ongoing tests on previously collected samples; not newly reported and confirmed infections, the WHO said. Several other countries reported additional cases that have not yet been added to the WHO tally. While the new virus strain in the recent outbreak has affected humans, Canadian officials said it has shown up at a pig farm in Alberta. Officials said the pigs may have been infected by a Canadian farmer who recently returned from a trip to Mexico, the epicenter of the outbreak. The pigs have since been quarantined. “We have determined that the virus H1N1, found in these pigs, is the virus which is being tracked in the human population,” said Dr. Brian Evans of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Evans and other officials said it is not uncommon for flu viruses to jump from humans to animals, and that it does not pose a risk for consuming pork. The number of pigs infected was not disclosed. The infected farmer had flu-like symptoms, but he is recovering, Evans said. Mexico has the largest number of confirmed cases with 506, followed by the United States at 160. So far, 19 people in Mexico and a toddler in the United States have died from the virus. Learn about the virus » The WHO has confirmed cases in 15 other countries: Canada, with 70; the United Kingdom with 15; Spain with 13; Germany with six; New Zealand with four; Israel with three; France, with two; and Ireland, Austria, China, South Korea, Denmark, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Costa Rica, each have one. See where cases have been confirmed »
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States has a tally of the states where the virus has been confirmed. According to their latest figures, 21 states have tested positive for the virus. Several states have announced additional confirmed cases, but those were not included in the CDC total.
New York has the highest number of confirmed cases with 50. Texas has 28 and California has 24. The other states include: South Carolina with 13; Massachusetts with eight; New Jersey with seven; Arizona and Delaware with four each; Illinois and Indiana with three each; Colorado, Florida, Kansas, Michigan and Virginia with two each; and Connecticut, Kentucky, Missouri, Minnesota, Nevada, Ohio and Rhode Island each have one.
