The number of confirmed H1N1 cases soared to 615 on Saturday with the World Health Organization reporting 15 countries were infected with the virus commonly known as swine flu.

The organization had reported 367 cases on Friday. The jump in cases was due to ongoing testing of a backlog of of specimens in Mexico, the WHO said.

The most cases were in Mexico, where 397 people are infected, according to WHO. The United States is second with 141 cases.

“What the increase reflects is that we are moving forward in confirming many of the cases that have been left untested for some time, so in an way that’s reassuring,” said WHO spokesman Paul Garwood. “We know that these cases are being dealt with, these specimens are being looked at and assessed, and we’re getting more and more info about this virus.

“So we haven’t seen, say, a spike in new cases or new influenza cases appearing in Mexico City, for example,” Garwood continued. “It’s just the fact that this reporting backlog is bearing fruit and we’re seeing the results of that.”

Source/Full Story:: CNN.com

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