HANOI, Feb. 19 (Xinhuanet) -- Vietnam reported eight more flu typeA infections and suspects between Wednesday afternoon and Thursdayafternoon, raising the total number to 267.

    Of the patients, who come from 35 cities and provinces nationwide, 38 have died, 103 remained hospitalized, and 126 recovered, the country's Health Ministry said on Thursday afternoon.

    Meanwhile, Vietnam detected a total of 22 cases of H5N1 infections, of whom 15 died, four were under treatment, and three were discharged from hospitals.

    According to the ministry, the latest H5N1 case is a 16-month-old girl named Vo Thi Be Giau from the southern province of Dong Nai. She has been treated in Ho Chi Minh City-based Hospital of Pediatrics No.1 since Feb. 17, four days after showing flu symptoms.

    The latest death caused by bird flu is a four-year-old boy named Ja Nury from the central highlands province of Lam Dong. He exhibited flu symptoms on Feb. 5, was admitted to the provincial hospital seven days later, and died on Wednesday.

    In the last 24 hours, Vietnam has detected no new communes being hit by bird flu, but culled 123,000 poultry. A total of 2,569 communes of 57 cities and provinces have been stricken by the disease, which killed and led to the forced culling of over 38.1 million fowls or about 15 percent of the country's poultry population. Enditem