LONDON, May 10
Health officials confirmed seven new cases of the H1N1 flu virus on Sunday, bringing the total in Britain to 55.
The Health Protection Agency (HPA) said all seven of the cases were from eastern England.
Two of the new cases are adults who came into contact with previously diagnosed cases.
The remaining five cases in the southeast comprise one adult and four children from the London area, the HPA said.
"These are cases who were swabbed last week and who may have acquired their infection before the closure of their school," it said in a statement.
"Since then, antivirals have been given to all children and staff as a precautionary measure," it said in a statement.
On Saturday health officials said Britain had nine new cases of the virus, eight in England and one in Scotland.
Last week the Department of Health said swine flu was still a threat to the population.
The deadly influenza strain has infected more than 4,000 people worldwide, the World Health Organisation said on Sunday, increasing its count by almost 1,000 a day.
The swine flu virus has killed 45 people in Mexico but all of those infected so far in Britain have had relatively mild symptoms.
Reuters
