The swine flu pandemic continues to spread across the globe, with new cases reported in previously flu-free countries in North Africa and the Middle East.
Seventy-six countries now have laboratory-confirmed cases of swine flu, according to the World Health Organisation.
There are 35,928 cases of the virus worldwide, with an average of 2000 new cases reported daily.
The latest outbreaks are in Morocco, which has one case, and the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with two. None of those cases has been fatal.
The virus continues to spread rapidly in Australia, with 221 new cases reported to the WHO in the three days to June 15, the third-largest rise in new cases.
Only Britain, which has reported 404 new cases in the same period, and the US, with 4638 confirmed new instances, had a larger spread of the virus.
Victoria remains the epicentre of H1N1 in Australia. There are 1210 confirmed cases in Victoria, of 1853 across the country.
Three swine flu patients remain in serious but stable conditions in intensive care wards in Melbourne hospitals.
The number of swine flu cases in Victoria is likely to be far higher, with possibly as many as 5000 people carrying the virus.
The outbreak is so widespread across the state, only those at risk of health complications — the elderly, pregnant women and people with existing conditions — are being tested for H1N1.
Queensland has 146 confirmed cases of human swine influenza, but authorities fear an extra 120 people who came into contact with an infected nurse may contract the virus.
Queensland Health said yesterday it had contacted most of the 120 people who came into contact with the nurse from Nambour Hospital.
Meanwhile, the Australian under-21 Lacrosse team is still in quarantine in South Korea.
A 19-year-old Victorian team member has tested positive for the virus and has been moved to the Incheon quarantine centre near Seoul. The remaining 26 team members have been moved to a quarantine centre in Suwon, 30 kilometres south of the capital.
Team member Tristan Tomasino expressed frustration at the strict quarantine procedures on social networking site Facebook.
He wrote: "Everyone contact the Government to get us out of here!!! The Australian Government are not doing enough to help us get out of lock-down. No one here has shown any signs or symptoms of flu and the Aus Gov should be doing all they can to help the team. Get us out, we wanna play."
Korean doctors will decide when the team can be released from quarantine.
The Australian Embassy in Seoul has been in contact with the infected man and the team's manager.
The Victorian Government is yet to release the results of a sentinel surveillance system that has been operating for the past two weeks to monitor the prevalence of the virus.
About 80 general practice clinics across the state have been monitoring their patient base for influenza-like illness and sending swabs for laboratory testing.
