CAIRO - FIVE new cases of swine flu infection were discovered at a Cairo campus dormitory on Tuesday, Egypt's health minister Hatem el-Gabali told state-news agency MENA.

The American University of Cairo's campus residence in the upscale neighbourhood of Zamelek was quarantined on Monday after two American students were found to be infected with the A(H1N1) virus.

Health workers took samples from the dormitory's 140 residents following the outbreak and the university announced it would suspend classes until Sunday.

Mr el-Gabali did not give the nationalities of the five other students found to be infected by the virus.

The latest cases bring the number of swine flu infections to eight in Egypt, where the government undertook a cull of the country's pigs after reports of outbreaks in other countries.

The authorities have stepped up checks of travellers at airports, quarantining those suspected to be infected in makeshift centres.

Egypt is already battling the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu, which has killed 27 people since it was first reported in 2006.

Swine flu has now spread to 73 countries with 25,288 people known to have been infected and 139 to have died since the disease was uncovered in April, the World Health Organisation said on Monday. -- AFP