Uruguayan sanitary authorities confirmed on Sunday five new cases of A/H1N1 flu, bringing the country's total to 11.

"All the cases have epidemic links with patients and people who have traveled outside" the country, the Uruguayan Public Health Ministry said in a communique.

However, "the rise is among the expected and it does not mean a signal of sanitary alert because the clinic evolution is similar to or even lighter than the seasonal flu," the communique said.

Among the newly confirmed cases, four are in Montevideo, and one in Canelones department in the south. The patients are between14 and 62 years old.

The Uruguayan government confirmed on Wednesday the first two cases of A/H1N1 flu in the country, and reported another four cases on Friday, all from Montevideo.

(Xinhua News Agency June 1, 2009)