Brazil's health authorities confirmed on Wednesday other six death cases of A/H1N1 flu in the country, raising the total number of victims to 29.
Four of the cases were from Rio de Janeiro state, and the other two from Sao Paulo state. Both states are located in Brazil's southeastern region. Earlier Wednesday, another death case had been announced by the authorities.
Sao Paulo state currently has the highest death toll in the country - 12 victims. Rio Grande do Sul state, in Brazil's southern region, has 11 deaths; Rio de Janeiro has five and Parana state, also in the southern region, has one.
Among the death cases, five were children, one elder and three pregnant women.
In the state of Rio Grande do Sul, several towns declared state of emergency due to the sharp rise in the death toll. The state government also established a special committee to deal with the pandemic.
In Rio de Janeiro state, the government established several special centers to provide care for patients showing symptoms of A/H1N1 flu.
According to the Brazilian Health Ministry's latest report, Brazil currently has 1,175 confirmed cases of A/H1N1 flu. Other 3,926 people are suspected of having been infected with the flu, and some 1,837 patients have recovered from the disease.
(Xinhua News Agency July 23, 2009)
