A new case of A/H1N1 influenza was confirmed Wednesday in Shiga Prefecture, bringing to 196 the total number of new flu infections, local media reported.

The patient, a man in his 20s, became the first case of the new flu detected outside Osaka and Hyogo prefectures.

According to the Shiga prefectural government, he visited Kobe in Hyogo Prefecture from Friday to Sunday.

Of the 196 patients, three Osaka high school students and their teacher, who were confirmed as the first cases of the new flu at Narita international airport upon their arrival from Canada via the United States, have been discharged from hospitals.

On Tuesday, health authorities decided to drop quarantine inspections aimed at detecting cases of A/H1N1 influenza aboard flights arriving in Japan from North America as early as the end of this week.

The government will shift from trying to shut the flu out of the country to limiting the domestic spread of the virus in line with the trend of the flu's domestic transmission.

(Xinhua News Agency May 20, 2009)