Mexico's Health Ministry on Monday confirmed a rise in the country's flu deaths to 83, with more than 4,458 confirmed infections from the virus. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
MEXICO CITY - THE worldwide death toll for swine flu was creeping up to triple digits on Monday with new deaths in North America, while a clutch of new cases emerged in Europe, Asia and Latin America.
According to the latest United Nations' World Health Organisation tally, 12,515 people have been infected with A(H1N1) across 46 countries, including 91 deaths.
Cases still on the rise
Worldwide, fears grew while attempts to contain the disease continued.
Japanese shops ran out of face masks amid the outbreak as local authorities and bloggers offered tips on making homemade masks from kitchen paper, coffee filters and even sanitary pads.
The figure represents a rise of 493 cases on the previous WHO total and included five new deaths in Mexico, the epicentre of the outbreak, but did not include the newest three Mexico deaths, one more fatality in Canada and two more deaths in the United States, bringing the global toll to 97.
Mexico's Health Ministry on Monday confirmed a rise in the country's flu deaths to 83, with more than 4,458 confirmed infections from the virus.
US media also reported that a woman in Chicago with underlying medical conditions died from the virus, following confirmation from health officials Sunday that a New York woman in her fifties had died from the disease.
The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed the virus in 6,764 cases.
A 44-year-old Toronto man on Monday became the second person in Canada to die of swine flu, as the country's latest figures showed 805 cases nationwide.
Honduras, Iceland and Kuwait meanwhile reported infections to the WHO for the first time, with Honduras and Iceland posting a case each and Kuwait reporting 18 cases in US soldiers who have since left the country.
In Hong Kong officials confirmed two new cases of swine flu in young children who arrived on a flight from New York on Sunday, raising the city's total number of cases to nine.
Also stemming from a New York infection, the Czech Republic registered its first swine flu case involving an adult male from Prague who recently came back from the northeastern US metropolis. -- AFP
