·World's total number of confirmed cases has risen to 11,034, including 85 deaths.

·There was an overall increase of 791 cases in the past 24 hours.

·A total of 41 countries have been hit by the new flu virus.

    GENEVA, May 21 (Xinhua) -- The world's total number of confirmed A/H1N1 flu cases has risen to 11,034, including 85 deaths, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a latest update on Thursday.

World Health Organization (WHO) and Pan American Health Organization (PHO) representative Angel Valencia (1st L) receives a box of samples of the A/H1N1 virus after it was collected in Panama City, capital of Panama, on May 20, 2009. Panama on Wednesday gave samples of the A/H1N1 virus collected in the country to the World Health Organization (WHO) for the study to produce a vaccine. Panama became the second country, after Mexico, in the world on sharing samples of the virus with the WHO.(Xinhua/Wang Pei) Photo Gallery>>>

    There was an overall increase of 791 cases in the past 24 hours, and most of the new cases were reported by Mexico, the United States, and Canada.

    The total number of cases reported by the United States was 5,710, of which 241 were new. Mexico reported a total of 3,892, with 244 new cases, and Canada reported 719, with 223 new cases.

    Meanwhile, Japan's total number of confirmed A/H1N1 cases has risen to 259, with 49 new cases. A number of other countries also reported new cases, including Britain, Spain, Costa Rica and Panama.

    A total of 41 countries have been hit by the new flu virus.

    So far most of the deaths have occurred in Mexico, where the virus was first identified. Infections in countries outside of Mexico are mostly mild ones.

    But the WHO has repeatedly warned that the severity of the disease might increase and the world should remain highly vigilant of a possible pandemic.

China reports 5th confirmed case of A/H1N1 influenza

    BEIJING, May 20 (Xinhua) -- Another person tested positive for the A/H1N1 influenza in Beijing, the capital's municipal health bureau said Wednesday.

    This is the second confirmed case in Beijing and the fifth on China's mainland.  Full story 

Infections of A/H1N1 flu amount to 290 in Japan

People wear face masks at a shopping street in Kobe, western Japan, May 17, 2009.   (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    TOKYO, May 21 (Xinhua) -- With new cases reported in Osaka and Hyogo prefectures, confirmed cases of A/H1N1 flu amounted to 290 in Japan on Thursday.

    The health authorities are considering dividing the country into three areas to adopt different measures to cope with the disease, Kyodo News reported, citing government sources.   Full story

Special Report:  World Tackles A/H1N1 Flu