WHO labs confirm 658 new flu infections worldwide

The World Health Organisation said today its laboratories had confirmed a total of 658 H1N1 flu infections in 16 countries, including 16 deaths in Mexico.

The WHO's toll lags national reports about the virus but is considered more scientifically secure.

The Mexican government said yesterday that out of more than 100 suspected deaths from the strain, 19 had been confirmed. Authorities in the country, which has been most affected by the disease, had previously made an estimate of 176 suspected deaths.

The WHO's most recent figures say that 397 people have been infected in Mexico, and 160 people have been infected in the United States, the two countries most affected by the virus widely known as swine flu. There has also been one US death, identified by authorities there as a Mexican infant.

The WHO has also confirmed flu infections, without deaths, in the following countries: Austria (1), Canada (51), Hong Kong - China Region (1), Costa Rica (1), Denmark (1), France (2), Germany (6), Israel (3), Netherlands (1), New Zealand (4), South Korea (1), Spain (13), Switzerland (1) and Britain (15).