BUENOS AIRES, July 7 (Xinhua) -- The Paraguayan Health Ministry reported on Tuesday three deaths due to A/H1N1 influenza, raising the death toll in the country to five.

    According to information reaching here from Asuncion, capital of Paraguay, the patients were two of 21 years old and one of 20 years old.

    The patients had been hospitalized for respiratory infections and the analysis proved they were infected with the A/H1N1 virus.

    Director from the Health Services of Paraguay, Diego Gamarra, said that the authorities are observant due to the grave respiratory conditions to impede the alarm.

    The Health Ministry said that to the moment there have been confirmed 114 cases and there are 498 possible cases that are being tested. It also said that 20 percent of the patients were between five and 14 years old.

    The Paraguayan authorities said that 50 percent of 111 beds in intensive care from the public health system are full with patients of severe respiratory diseases.

    Doctor from the Sanitary Vigilance Direction from the Health Ministry, Ivan Allende, said that all the patients are on severe conditions.

    Allende said that the A/H1N1 virus is easy to spread and it has potential to infect all the Paraguayans.

    Allende also said that 30 percent of the doctors and nurses working in the emergency have symptoms and there are possibilities that half of them are infected.