Taiwan's disease control authorities reported three new confirmed A/H1N1 influenza cases on Monday, bringing the total on the island to nine.

The seventh patient is a 40-year-old female living in Taiwan. She is a friend of the fourth patient, a 30-year-old female who came back on May 20 from Manila.

The seventh patient had a supper with the fourth on her arrival and had a cough and other flu symptoms in the following days. She was quarantined on Sunday.

The seventh patient is the first victim to be infected on the island.

The other two new patients were both Taiwan students coming back from San Francisco by EVA Airways flight BR007 on seats 23K and 23H. Both developed some flu symptoms at arrival on Sunday morning but passed the through the airport's examination for fever.

They were taken to hospital by a taxi driver on the way back from the airport and were confirmed with the infection in the evening.

(Xinhua News Agency May 25, 2009)