The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) on Thursday reported three more deaths of the A/H1N1 flu virus, bringing the total to ten in the state.

"These deaths are a tragic reminder of how serious flu can be for some people," the department said in a news release late Thursday.

The department describes the latest victims as a 20-year-old from Norfolk County, a 21-year-old from Hampden County and a 53-year-old from Essex County.

All three victims had underlying health conditions, which increased their risk of complications from the A/H1N1 virus, the department said.

Earlier in the week, the department announced two deaths of the new virus -- a 62-year-old person from Middlesex County and a 53-year-old resident of the Worcester County.

Both victims also had underlying health conditions that made them more susceptible to complications from the flu.

Last Friday, the department reported 1,328 confirmed cases of A/H1N1 flu with five deaths in Massachusetts.

But state health officials said they no longer provide weekly updates on the number of the A/H1N1 flu cases since officials had stopped testing for the virus, except in severe infections.

The new reporting requirements will track only hospitalized and fatal cases, they said, pointing to the fact that hospitalizations and fatalities provide the most accurate measures of disease severity in the state.

As of Thursday, there have been 170 hospitalizations related to the A/H1N1 flu virus in the state.

(Xinhua News Agency July 31, 2009)