Twenty-five new influenza A/H1N1cases were diagnosed on Wednesday in Israel, local news service Ynet reported.

The patients are in good condition and have been isolated at their homes, said the report, giving no details about how they contracted the virus.

The latest cases brought the total number of confirmed cases of the globally spreading disease to 180 in the Jewish state since April.

Last week, the World Health Organization (WHO) raised the A/H1N1 alert to phase six, its highest level, formally declaring that it had developed into a global pandemic.

According to the latest tally by the WHO, 77 countries and regions have officially reported at least 35,928 cases of influenza A/H1N1 infection, including 163 deaths.

(Xinhua News Agency June 18, 2009)