Costa Rican Health Ministry reported on Thursday 28 new cases of A/H1N1 influenza, totaling 177 cases in the country.

The ministry said in a communique that 77 percent of the patients infected with A/H1N1 flu were less than 30 years old.

Five of the seven provinces in the country have reported A/H1N1flu patients, and the provinces of Puntarenas and Limon are the only ones without case.

The ministry said that to the moment 2,493 patients went to hospitals with flu symptoms, but 2,156 were discarded and 157 are pending to be tested.

(Xinhua News Agency June 19, 2009)