An European health agency said on Monday that 874 new A/H1N1 flu cases were reported in European countries within the last 24 hours.

Of the new cases, 635 were confirmed in Germany, 114 in France,48 in Sweden, 22 in Finland, 15 in Portugal, 13 each in Norway and Malta, four in the Czech Republic, two each in Austria, Hungary and Iceland, and one each in Slovenia, Romania, Poland and Latvia, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said in its daily situation report.

The risk assessment for Europe is that the virus will continue to spread, but many uncertainties remain. Though it seems that most of those infected in the United States and in Europe experience a mild and self-limiting infection, this picture is still unclear as there has not been enough transmission to judge the effects, especially in those more at risk, the statement added.

The total number of confirmed cases of the A/H1N1 flu virus in the EU (European Union) and EFTA (European Free Trade Association) countries rose to 16,969, with 1,309 cases in Spain and 10,649 in Britain, 628 in France and 1,469 in Germany, the ECDC said.

The ECDC publishes a daily situation report about A/H1N1 flu cases in the EU and EFTA countries based on official information from these countries.

(Xinhua News Agency July 21, 2009)