Fourteen of the 18 cases are believed to be residents of a village in Dong Nai Province’s Xuan Hoa District who had been in contact with H1N1 patients returning from abroad.

Another case was a high school student attending the national college entrance examinations in Ho Chi Minh City which ended Thursday. The student had also come into contact with other patients from abroad.

According to the latest figures from the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control, nearly 126,000 people have been infected with the H1N1 virus worldwide and 667 people have died.

Thailand has recorded 2,688 cases of H1N1 with 25 deaths.

Experts predict controlling the virus could become more difficult in countries like New Zealand and Australia in winter as people are more prone to catching seasonal flu at this time.

Reported by Lien Chau