The tally of confirmed A/H1N1 flu cases on the Chinese mainland rose to 49 on Tuesday as ten more people were confirmed infected with the virus.

Eastern Fujian Province reported three new cases on Tuesday evening, involving a 28-year-old Chinese woman and two Chinese American girls, all from New York, the United States.

The Chinese woman arrived in Beijing on Air China flight CA 982 from New York on May 29, then flew to Fuzhou, Fujian's capital, on flight CA 1821. She was sent to hospital on May 31 after developing flu symptoms, said the Fujian Provincial Department of Health.

The two girls, respectively eleven and seven years old, were sisters of a 9-year-old girl who was confirmed as a H1N1 flu patient on Monday.

They left New York with family members to Hong Kong on May 26 and took Cathay Pacific flight KA660 from Hong Kong to Fuzhou on May 28, the department said, adding that all patients were in stable condition.

Beijing reported a 36-year-old Chinese Canadian, who arrived in Beijing on Air Canada flight AC407 from Canada on May 28, and a 12-year-old Chinese boy, who arrived in Beijing by Continental Airlines flight C089 from the United States on Monday.

Both were stable and all the people who had close contact with them had been found, said the municipal health bureau. The city has reported 13 cases in total

Southern Guangdong Province reported its 13th case on Tuesday: a 45-year-old man, living in Zhuhai City, Guangzhou, who arrived in Hong Kong by Cathay Pacific flight CX831 from New York on Friday and later arrived in Macao by Turbojet ferry 8S124.

He arrived home Saturday and was hospitalized Sunday.

Guangdong Provincial Health Department also reported one patient, who was the second case in the province, was discharged from hospital on Tuesday.

Shanghai announced two more cases, involving two Chinese women from the United States, bringing the total in Shanghai to seven, said the spokesman of Shanghai Municipal Government.

A 60-year-old woman arrived in Shanghai early Friday from the US by China Eastern Airlines flight MU588.

The woman was tested positive to A/H1N1 flu virus late Monday and all eight people who had close contact to her had been quarantined. None showed flu symptoms.

A 18-year-old girl arrived in Shanghai by United Airlines flight UA835 on Saturday. She tested positive for the virus on Tuesday morning.

All the six people who had contact with her had been quarantined and showed no flu symptoms.

The Ministry of Health reported another two new cases in the central provinces of Hubei and Henan, who were confirmed Tuesday morning according to clinical diagnosis, epidemiological investigation and lab tests.

A 20-year-old man became Hubei's first confirmed patient. He flew from Canada on May 24, transferring flights in the Republic of Korea (ROK) to Guangzhou. All the 14 people who had close contact had been quarantined and another 34 people who had exposure to the patient have been quarantined at home, said the provincial health department.

The other case in Henan involved a 3.5-year-old girl, who arrived with relatives in Zhengzhou on Thursday on Korean Air flight KE809 from Seoul, where she had transferred from a flight from Las Vegas. Her fever has subsided.

Health departments from the two provinces were tracing those in close contact with the patients and have been quarantined quarantine. None of them had shown flu symptoms, the ministry said.

According to the World Health Organization, as of Monday, 62 countries have officially reported 17,410 cases of influenza A/H1N1 infections, including 115 deaths.

(Xinhua News Agency June 3, 2009)