Brazil's Health Ministry announced on Tuesday two new cases of A/H1N1 flu in the country, which raised the number of infected to 23.

The two new patients, both from Rio de Janeiro state and infected during trips to the United States, are in stable conditions, the ministry said, adding that the two cases are completely unrelated.

Brazil's confirmed A/H1N1 flu cases now include nine in Sao Paulo, seven in Rio de Janeiro, four in Santa Catarina, and one each in Minas Gerais, Rio Grande do Sul and Tocantins. Among them, seven were of domestic transmission.

All the patients of domestic transmission caught the disease from one single person who was infected abroad, the ministry said, adding that the fact indicates that the transmission is restricted and the virus is not circulating in the country.

There are currently 25 suspected cases of the A/H1N1 flu in Brazil, the ministry said.

The World Health Organization has so far registered over 17,000 cases of the flu in 62 countries. The disease has already killed 123 people in Mexico, the United States, Canada, Costa Rica and Chile.

(Xinhua News Agency June 3, 2009)