Nine new cases of A/H1N1 flu have been confirmed on Saturday, which brings the British total of the novel flu patients to 48.

Eight of the newly confirmed cases are in England and one in Scotland.

The English cases involve two adults and six children. One adult is from the East Midlands and the other cases are all in London.

One of the adult cases is associated with travel to Mexico, while the children attended the same school.

A 19-year-old man from Greenock is being treated in hospital in Glasgow after testing positive for the virus.

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) confirmed that the children were from a London school which has closed because several pupils already have the illness.

HPA said the children were swabbed earlier this week and "may well have acquired their infection before their school's closure," adding that anti-viral drugs had already been given to all children and staff as a precautionary measure.

The agency also said that the infected adult from the East Midlands is a close contact of a previously confirmed case.

The Scottish man, from Greenock, started showing symptoms after coming into contact with someone who had traveled to Mexico. But his condition was described as "not serious."

The Department of Health said all the infections in Britain so far were mild, and had been diagnosed and treated early.

The department spokeswoman said the government was not complacent and would prepare for the possibility of a global pandemic.

Earlier, officials in Wales said five people were under investigation for A/H1N1 flu, but a further 74 had been given the all-clear.