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Over 70 swine flu cases in Russian west Siberian city

Fourty seven of those infected are children

YEKATERINBURG, January 18. /TASS/. More than 70 swine flu cases have been registered in the west Siberian city of Novy Urengoi, ten people were hospitalized, the central municipal hospital told TASS on Monday.

"Currently 74 cases are registered, and 47 of those infected are children," a hospital spokesman said. "Ten people were hospitalized."

First cases of the disease were registered in November after a man died from the virus. On January 12, some 59 people became infected.

The central hospital in the Hanty-Mansiysk autonomous district of western Siberia was closed under quarantine restrictions amid the swine flu outbreak.

Swine flu is the popular name for influenza caused by a relatively new strain of influenza virus A. It was responsible for the flu pandemic in 2009. The virus is officially known as influenza virus A/H1N1.

Swine flu is contagious, and it spreads in the same way as the seasonal flu.