Canada's Quebec province has confirmed its third A/H1N1 flu death, bringing the national total to six, local media reported on Monday.

Health officials say the victim was a woman in her 50s with an underlying chronic illness.

The news came a day after a man in his 40s was confirmed to have died in the province from the new flu. Earlier, an elderly woman had died of the virus. Both had other medical problems.

Quebec officials also confirmed 40 new cases of the flu in the province, bringing the total infections in the province since April to 873, the second most after Ontario among the Canadian provinces.

The Public Health Agency of Canada says just over five percent of the people confirmed to have the new type of flu in this country have been treated in hospital.

The agency estimates one-quarter of those hospitalized had an underlying medical condition.

(Xinhua News Agency June 16, 2009)