Special Report:  World Tackles A/H1N1 Flu  　 

    GENEVA, May 2 (Xinhua) -- The total number of laboratory confirmed A/H1N1 flu infections worldwide has risen to 615 with 17 deaths, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a latest update on Saturday.

    A total of 15 countries and regions have officially reported laboratory confirmed cases to the UN agency, including Mexico, whose confirmed number of human cases has increased to 397, including 16 deaths.

    The rapid rise in cases from Mexico reflects ongoing testing of previously collected specimens, the WHO said.

    The U.S. government has reported 141 laboratory confirmed human cases, including one death, it said.

    In addition, 13 countries and regions have reported laboratory confirmed cases with no deaths, including Austria (1), Canada (34),Hong Kong, China (1), Denmark (1), France (1), Germany (4), Israel(2), Netherlands (1), New Zealand (4), Republic of Korea (1), Spain (13), Switzerland (1) and Britain (13).

    The WHO said the situation continued to evolve and it would renew its tally on a regular basis.

    Meanwhile, the agency reiterated that it was not recommending travel restrictions related to the outbreak of the A/H1N1 virus.

    "Limiting travel and imposing travel restrictions would have very little effect on stopping the virus from spreading, but would be highly disruptive to the global community," it said in a statement on Friday.

     Since the virus has already been confirmed in many parts of the world, the focus now is on minimizing the impact of the virus through the rapid identification of cases and providing patients with appropriate medical care, rather than on stopping its spread internationally, the WHO said.

    However, it suggested that individuals who are ill should delay travel plans and returning travelers who fall ill should seek appropriate medical care.

Italy confirms first A/H1N1 flu case

    ROME, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Italy has confirmed its first A/H1N1 flu case, the ANSA news agency reported Saturday.

    A patient treated at a local hospital in the central coastal city of Massa has tested positive for the A/H1N1 flu virus, said Antonio Delvino, a Tuscany health official. Full story

Confirmed A/H1N1 flu cases rises to 15 in Spain

    MADRID, May 2 (Xinhua) -- The number of confirmed A/H1N1 flu cases grew to 15 in Spain, according to statistics released by the Spanish Ministry of Health on midday Saturday.

    The two new confirmed cases of the virus in the past day were in the Valencia region on the eastern Spanish coast, the ministry said. Full story

Twelve new A/H1N1 cases confirmed in Europe

    STOCKHOLM, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Twelve new A/H1N1 influenza cases were confirmed in European countries within the last 24 hours, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said Saturday.

    Of the new cases, two were confirmed in Germany, seven in Britain, two in France, the country's first two cases, and one in Denmark, the country's first. Full story

First cases of A/H1N1 flu reported in Asia

    BEIJING, May 2 (Xinhua) -- The first cases of A/H1N1 flu were reported in Asia on Saturday, prompting health officials to quarantine the sick and take other actions to prevent a spread of the outbreak that has rattled the world for a week.

    South Korea reported its first confirmed case of the never-seen-before flu on Saturday. A 51-year-old nun, quarantined since Tuesday after returning from Mexico, has been diagnosed with the new flu strain, the Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement. Full story