Palestinian health ministry on Sunday announced that three people have died of influenza A/H1N1 virus in the Gaza Strip, putting the death toll to 13 in less than two weeks since the disease was found in the Israeli-blockaded enclave.

Dr. Hassan Khalaf, deputy health minister in the deposed Hamas government, said the three patients have suffered from chronic illnesses that reduced their immunity.

The number of people infected with the virus has also increased to 185 and more than two-thirds of them had recovered, according to Dr. Khalaf.

Due to the Israeli closure that restricted the movement of people in and out of Gaza and the absence of swine farms, the virus, which was discovered universally in April, has reached Gazalater.

(Xinhua News Agency December 20, 2009)