Breaking News, World News and Taiwan News.

Updated Sunday, June 14, 2009 11:53 am TWN, AP

Sponsors
▪	Find great real time deals on China Flights. Book flights to China or China domestic flights 24/7.
▪	Buy china wholesale products from reliable chinese wholesalers on DHgate.com!
▪	Save 75% for all hotels in Shanghai, Beijing and whole China. Lowest rates for Flights in China.
▪	Get the best deals for Guangzhou Hotels or choose from more than 10,000 hotels in 499 Chinese cities.

Thai swine flu cases double; New Zealand gives warning

BANGKOK, Thailand -- Authorities urged the public to remain calm as swine flu cases more than doubled in Thailand on Saturday and New Zealand warned a sharp rise in its infections could be imminent, days after the U.N. declared a pandemic.

The World Health Organization on Thursday announced the first global flu epidemic in 41 years. Some 74 countries have reported some 29,700 cases, including 145 deaths. Mexico and the United States have been worst affected.

So far, the virus appears to be mild but experts say it might have a more devastating effect in people with underlying health problems.

Swine flu infections in Thailand soared to 106 Saturday, up from 47 on Friday.

Senior Health Ministry official Paichit Warachit said about 80 percent of the cases reported only mild symptoms and had not gone to see the doctor when they first got sick.

“That's why the disease is spreading,” Paichit told The Associated Press.

He said more cases can be expected in the next one to two weeks “but the public should not be overly panicked. We are prepared to handle this.”

Witthaya said Thailand has 420,000 courses of anti-viral medicine on hand and can produce another 100,000 within one month.

In Philippine, the health secretary says the number of swine flu cases in the country has now topped 100 but all have shown mild symptoms.

Francisco Duque III said Saturday that 19 new cases have brought the total to 111. He says 38 have recovered.

The new cases include 18 Filipinos and one foreigner.

Education officials say classes in universities will start Monday following a week's suspension after several schools reported infections among students.

New Zealand health officials confirmed two cases of swine flu Saturday not linked to international travel, warning it could signal the start of a much wider spread through the country. It has reported 43 cases in all.

“Community transmission is the first indication of what is likely to be much wider spread within New Zealand,” deputy director of public health Dr. Darren Hunt said in a statement.

Health Minister Tony Ryall said the situation was changing rapidly and that there could be an exponential rise in cases in the days ahead, as has been seen in other countries.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong health authorities confirmed 10 more cases of swine flu, bringing the territory's total number to 73.

The government said in a statement late Friday that the new cases included seven people found to be infected after returning from the Philippines, the United States and Canada.

Subscribe to The China Post and save 25%. Click here