HONG KONG - HONG Kong on Wednesday reported 54 newly confirmed cases of swine flu, taking the total number in the southern Chinese territory to 172.

'The new cases involved 32 female and 22 male aged between three and 55.

All of them are in stable condition and have been admitted to public hospitals for medical treatment,' said a spokesman for the Department of Health.

There have been no deaths from the A(H1N1) virus in Hong Kong.

Last week, authorities ordered all primary schools in the city to be closed for two weeks after the first cluster of local swine flu cases was found.

When the city discovered its first case, at the start of last month, it started a week-long quarantine of around 300 guests and staff at a hotel where the carrier had briefly stayed.

Hong Kong is on edge about infectious diseases following the outbreak of the Sars virus in 2003, which killed 300 people here and a further 500 around the world.

The World Health Organisation has raised its global alert to a maximum six, saying swine flu has reached pandemic status because of its geographical spread, and warned countries that already have large numbers of cases to prepare for a fresh wave of infections.

Swine flu has infected 35,928 people in 76 countries since the disease was first uncovered in late March, and 163 people have died, according to the latest WHO data. -- AFP