A rising number of A/ H1N1 flu cases has been reported in Canada's aboriginal communities in recent weeks, raising concerns over the poor living and health conditions in the affected area.

The outbreak of flu in Canada's central Manitoba province first caught public attention last week as hundreds of residents from the St. Theresa Point First Nation showed flu-like symptoms, among whom two were tested positive for the A/ H1N1 flu virus.

A total of 21 people have been hospitalized with serious symptoms, including one pregnant woman who lost her baby due to the disease.

The flu has also spread to other aboriginal communities in the province. An 18-month-old infant from the Garden Hill First Nation was hospitalized with the virus and there were also concerns about 10 other residents who live in the cramped house, David Harper, chief of the community, said on Tuesday.

More alarmingly, health officials in the province on Monday reported a sudden jump in the number of people requiring intensive care for flu-like symptoms, most of whom are aboriginal.

While the total caseload of confirmed A/H1N1 flu in Manitoba reached 40 as of Monday, 26 of whom were on ventilators, said Dr. Joel Kettner, chief public health officer of the province.

According to him, the aboriginals and people aged between 20 and 60 are among the groups most easily infected with the epidemic.

In the sparsely populated Nunavut Territory, 28 new cases were confirmed on Tuesday alone, raising the total number of the infected cases to 53.

The way the virus is spreading among Canada's aboriginal communities has been noticed by the World Health Organization (WHO), which believes the disease can take a harsher toll on the poor.

"There are reports of infections occurring in Inuit communities with a disproportionate number of serious cases. These are observations of concern to us." Dr. Keiji Fukuda, WHO's acting assistant director-general for health security and environment, said in Sweden.

Aboriginal leaders in Canada have blamed the worsening situation on the poor health and living conditions in their communities and accused the government of leaving them with little help.

As the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic devastated many First Nations and Inuit communities, it is widely believed that poor living conditions and underlying health problems have fuelled A/H1N1 flu infection in many aboriginal areas, Terrance Nelson, chief of the Roseau River First Nation, said on Tuesday.

Overcrowded homes made it harder to prevent the disease from spreading. A lack of full-scale health centers was also blamed for the hike in confirmed flu cases in these areas, he added.

As of Monday, the total number of confirmed cases of A/H1N1 flu in Canada had reached 2,446, the country's Public Health Agency said.

(Xinhua News Agency June 10, 2009)