Flu cases of Asian nations continued to surge as Thailand reported 196 new infections and the number of patients in New Zealand exceeded 1,000 on Monday.

Thailand's Public Health Ministry on Monday announced 196 more patients, who are confirmed to have infected with the A/H1N1 flu virus, bringing the country's total number to 2,272.

As some 2,230 have already recovered, some 35 others are still treated in hospitals, and some seven people died of the A/H1N1 flu virus infection, Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparada said, the Thai News Agency reported.

The number of confirmed cases of influenza A/H1N1 in New Zealand rose to 1,059 on Monday, up from 961 on Sunday, the Ministry of Health said.

The number of deaths associated with influenza A/H1N1 remained at three.

"It's important to note that the actual number of cases of the new influenza A/H1N1 will be significantly higher, as only a small proportion of people with symptoms are now being tested. This is because for most people it's a mild illness and they will recover readily at home without needing medical treatment," said Fran McGrath, Deputy Director of Health, Ministry of Health.

The Brunei Health Ministry has reported that it had 18 new cases of A/H1N1 flu on Sunday, increasing the total number of the case in the country to 142 as of the day.

The ministry did not reveal how many imported or locally transmitted among the new cases, according to Brunei newspapers on Monday.

However, the ministry said that 56 patients have completed their treatment, while 249 close contacts of confirmed patients have already completed their quarantine period.

In Hong Kong, twenty more people were found to have contracted the A/H1N1 flu here on Monday, bringing the total number of infections in the city to 973.

"There had been 20 newly confirmed cases of A/H1N1 in the 24 hours to 2:30pm today," a spokesperson for the HKSAR government's Health Department said.

Singapore on Monday confirmed 56 new cases of Influenza A/H1N1,bringing the total number of such cases to 1,111 in the city state.

Singapore reported its first confirmed case of Influenza A/H1N1on May 27.

The cumulative number of Macao's confirmed cases of influenza A/H1N1 increased to 60 so far, as four more such cases were reported on Monday.

The four newly confirmed cases included two locally-infected and two imported ones, according to Macao's Health Bureau.

(Xinhua News Agency July 7, 2009)