The number of suspected cases of the A/H1N1 flu in Brazil fell from 18 to 17 on Wednesday, the country's Health Ministry said.

The suspected cases are spread over the states of Sao Paulo (five), Rio de Janeiro (two), Rio Grande do Sul (two), Amapa (one), Amazonas (one), Goias (one), Rondonia (one), and Sergipe (one), as well as the Federal District (three).

In the past week, the number of suspected cases of the A/H1N1 flu in the country dropped about 50 percent.

According to the ministry, there are still 16 people being monitored by health authorities, in the states of Sao Paulo (five), Rio Grande do Norte (three), Santa Catarina (two), Rio Grande do Sul (two), and one each in the states of Rio de Janeiro, Parana, Minas Gerais and Goias.

The number of confirmed cases remained at eight, which were registered in the states of Rio de Janeiro (three), Sao Paulo (two), and one each in Minas Gerais, Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina states.

Most of the infected patients have already been released from the hospital after going through the contagion stage.

According to the World Health Organization, 40 countries have reported more than 9,830 cases, mostly in the U.S. and Mexico. The global death tally is 87, 75 in Mexico, 10 in U.S., one in Canada and one in Costa Rica.

(Xinhua News Agency May 21, 2009)