Russia's confirmed A/H1N1 flu cases have risen to nine after two new cases were recorded, the RIA Novosti news agency reported on Friday.

Both of the two new patients had returned to Russia from Spain, Chief Sanitary Official Gennady Onishchenko said.

All of the nine Russians contracted the flu virus abroad, including in the United States, Cyprus, Thailand, Spain and the Dominican Republic.

Onishchenko called on Russian citizens to spend their holidays at home and to avoid visits to the countries which have reported large numbers of A/H1N1 flu cases.

(Xinhua News Agency July 18, 2009)