Fiji's Ministry of Health has confirmed three more new cases of the Pandemic Influenza A/H1N1 in the Pacific island country, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to five on Thursday.

The three new cases were being treated at their respective homes and are all stable.

Two women and a man were confirmed in Suva, Lautoka and Nadi. Two of the three new cases have a history of recent travel, the Ministry of Health said.

The National Testing Facilities at Mataika House in Tamavua has to date received 116 specimens from sentinel sites in Suva, Lautoka, Nadi and Labasa.

Out of these, five have been confirmed cases.

The Public Health teams in the areas the patients are from have been in contact to see if there are any close contacts of the three who are also ill and to advise and monitor their wellbeing whilst in the vicinity of their home.

The National Influenza Task Force has organized briefings, presentations and discussions with the medical practitioners, both in private and public practice in Lautoka on Wednesday night, and with the border control teams at both Nadi and Nausori Airports.

The first two confirmed cases have both responded well to treatment and are stable while those they came into contact with remain unaffected.

(Xinhua News Agency June 25, 2009)