WASHINGTON - CANADA on Tuesday reported four new H1N1 flu deaths, bringing to 20 the number of people who have died with the A(H1N1) virus in the country.

The Public Health Agency in Ottawa said there were two new H1N1 flu fatalities in the capital, one of a 52-year-old woman and 'an adolescent who had pre-existing chronic health conditions'.

Health officials in Quebec merely reported 'two new deaths'. The French-speaking province has recorded 11 of the nation's 20 deaths linked to epidemic.

A toll released on Monday by Canada's health ministry said there were a total of 6,457 cases of H1N1 flu, including 404 which required hospitalisation.

Canada is the third worst H1N1 flu-affected country, after the United States, with 87 deaths and nearly 21,500 confirmed cases, and Mexico with 116 deaths and 8,600 infections. -- AFP