Thailand reported another 113 A/H1N1 influenza cases across the country Thursday, bringing the total number of confirmed infections since May 12 to 518, said Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai.

The Bureau of Epidemiology revealed that of the 518 patients, more than half live in the capital Bangkok, Thai News Agency reported.

The latest cases turned up as several Bangkok schools, closed since earlier this week to prevent the potential spread of the flue among students, reopened.

The total number of student infections reached 79 in 28 educational institutions which have closed, according to Dr. Chinnapat Bhumirat, Permanent Secretary for Education.

Chinnapat said that several schools in Bangkok reopened on Thursday, including Suankularb Wittayalai, where two students tested positive to the new virus.

However, if the spread of the A/H1N1 virus increases widely enough to reach 10 percent of the student population, additional school closures will be needed to contain the virus, he added.

Thailand reported its first two confirmed flu cases on May 12 and the pace of the epidemic has been slow until June 12, when 43 cases were confirmed across the country in single one day.

(Xinhua News Agency June 18, 2009)