Three new cases of swine flu have been confirmed in Wales, taking the total to eight.
Three new cases of swine flu have been confirmed in Wales, including a 59-year-old woman who has been admitted to hospital.
A woman of 19 from Monmouthshire, a man aged 20 from Torfaen and a 62-year-old woman from Ceredigion have all been offered antivirals and are recovering.
Health officials said the woman, from Caerphilly, became unwell in Spain and had been offered antiviral medicine.
Eighteen further cases are still under investigation in Wales.
She is not in intensive care and was said to be recovering.
Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Jewell, said: "We have made it clear that there would be cases in Wales and that the number of cases would rise."
The two other cases were a 19-year-old man from Cardiff and a 24-year-old man from Powys, making a total of 12 confirmed cases in Wales.
He said people should remain vigilant to try to reduce the spread of the virus.
Dr Roland Salmon, of the National Public Health Service for Wales, said: "Because this type of swine flu is new, people have little or no immunity to it. For this reason, we know it will spread across the country eventually.
There are now 2,908 laboratory confirmed cases of swine flu in the UK, the majority of them in England. A woman in Scotland is the only person in the UK to have died of the disease.
"The pandemic will reach different countries at different times. While the outbreak is dying away in Mexico it is still growing here."
The National Public Health Service for Wales said close contacts of the three latest flu cases have all been identified and and are all well.
The teenager from Cardiff was said to be recovering after being offered antiviral medicine, and his close contacts are being traced.
Earlier this week children at a Welsh medium playgroup in New Quay, Ceredigion, were offered anti-viral medicine after a toddler was confirmed with swine flu.
In the Powys case, health officials said the source of the infection was being investigated. The man affected was also said to be recovering.
His case was linked to another case in Birmingham, as is the case of the 62-year-old woman in Ceredigion announced on Wednesday.
A 28-year-old man from Powys was also confirmed with the illness this week.
HYGIENE ADVICE Cover your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing, using a tissue where possibleDispose of tissues promptly and carefullyWash hands frequently with soap and waterClean hard surfaces such as door handles regularly with a normal cleaning productHelp your children to follow hygiene adviceSource: National Public Health Service for Wales/Welsh Assembly Government
HYGIENE ADVICE Cover your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing, using a tissue where possibleDispose of tissues promptly and carefullyWash hands frequently with soap and waterClean hard surfaces such as door handles regularly with a normal cleaning productHelp your children to follow hygiene adviceSource: National Public Health Service for Wales/Welsh Assembly Government
One hundred and thirty four people in Wales have been investigated for swine flu, but had the disease ruled out.
A total of 171 people in Wales have been under investigation for swine flu. It has been ruled out in 139 cases leaving 20 still under investigation.
The Welsh Assembly Government and National Public Health Service for Wales issued a joint statement, saying; "So far the virus is generally mild in most people, but proving more severe in a small number of cases, and one person has died in Scotland.
There are now 3,600 confirmed cases in the UK: 2,830 in England, 739 in Scotland and 19 in Northern Ireland.
"We have warned that we need to expect that, with large numbers of people contracting swine flu, there will be deaths, particularly in patients with underlying health conditions. Even with the seasonal flu, we do see excess deaths occurring.
One person with swine flu in the UK, a case in Scotland, has died but the patient had underlying health conditions.
Dr Roland Salmon, director of the communicable disease surveillance centre at the National Public Health Service (NPHS) for Wales, said: "Because this particular type of swine flu is new, people have little or no immunity to it. For this reason, we know it will spread across the country eventually.
Chief medical officer for Wales, Dr Tony Jewell, said: "We have warned that we need to expect that, with large numbers of people contracting swine flu, there will be deaths, particularly in patients with underlying health conditions.
Flu is often confused with a bad cold but is in fact far more serious and leads to many deaths each year in Wales Dr Roland Salmon, NPHS
"Even with the seasonal flu, we do see excess deaths occurring.
He said while the pandemic is dying away in Mexico it is still growing here in Wales.
"Although it is natural for people to feel apprehensive, I would like to reassure the public that we have been working to prepare for the arrival of the virus for many years and have robust procedures in place."
"Whereas we are currently investigating and responding to individual cases and prescribing antivirals to all close contacts to prevent the quick spread of the disease, there will come a time when it is sensible to change this approach so that our focus moves to treating people who are ill and preventing illness in people who are most at risk."
Dr Salmon added: "Seasonal flu can be severe, particularly for elderly and vulnerable people, so there is still good reason for us all to take action to reduce its effects."
He said flu was often confused with a bad cold but was far more serious and led to many deaths each year in Wales.
The three earlier cases of swine flu are: A woman in Blaenau Gwent, Dr Mair Williams, 66, a Neath GP, and a 31-year-old man from the Caerphilly area, who are said to have recovered.
