HONG KONG - HONG Kong on Thursday reported 49 newly confirmed cases of H1N1 flu, bringing to 221 the total number of cases in the southern Chinese city.

All the new cases, involving 22 male and 27 female patients aged between one and 55, were in a stable condition after being admitted to public hospitals, the Department of Health said.

'Six of the cases are imported, while 28 are local. Classification of the other 15 cases is still pending,' the department said.

Among the cases were three boys and two girls from five secondary schools that had now been advised to suspend classes for two weeks from Friday, the department added.

Last week, authorities ordered all primary schools in the city to be closed for two weeks after the first cluster of local H1N1 flu cases was found.

When Hong Kong discovered its first case, in early May, health authorities quarantined around 300 guests and staff at a hotel where the carrier, a Mexican, had briefly stayed.

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

Influenza A(H1N1) has infected nearly 40,000 people around the world in 89 countries and territories, causing 167 deaths since late March, according to the latest World Health Organisation data. -- AFP