Egypt confirms 38 swine flu deaths

CAIRO - Egypt confirmed Sunday 38 death cases of A/H1N1 virus, known as swine flu, since the beginning of last December, the Egyptian Health Ministry said in a statement.

"The ministry has detected 339.483 cases with 318 diagnosed as carrying the virus since last December 1, and 38 of them died," health minister Maha al-Rabat said in the statement.

The ministry will announce twice a week on the new developments, the statement added.

The statement also warned susceptible population which includes those younger than two years and above 65 years, patients suffering respiratory diseases, diabetes and pregnant women to make urgent test once they feel the symptoms of the ordinary flu.

A/H1N1 has become so common that it has been categorized under the seasonal influenza by the World Health Organization since 2010, according to the statement.

Former health minister Mohamed Awad Tag-Eddin said at a press conference last week that the virus is growing increasingly active in the northern Hemisphere including Egypt.