First Swine Flu Cases Reported In South Africa, Macau

South Africa and Macau have reported their first cases of the H1N1 swine flu.

Health officials in South Africa say a 12-year-old boy who arrived from the United States tested positive for the virus. The officials say the boy was hospitalized but has since been released.

Meanwhile, a government spokesperson, Elena Au, in the Chinese-ruled territory of Macau says a Filipino man who arrived Wednesday has tested positive for swine flu.

Thailand is reporting a sizable increase in swine flu cases. Health officials have confirmed 113 new cases cases, bringing the country's total to more than 500.

Meanwhile, a Spanish cruise ship hit by a small swine flu outbreak is now headed to Aruba. Venezuelan authorities had initially planned to quarantine the ship after three crew members tested positive for the virus.

The latest figures from the World Health Organization (WHO) show the virus has infected more than 39,000 people globally and is responsible for at least 167 deaths. The findings from WHO were last updated Wednesday.

Earlier this month, WHO declared swine flu to be a global pandemic. A pandemic does not refer to the severity of a disease, but means it has spread to a large number of countries.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP and AP.