A second case of the new H1N1 flu strain has been confirmed in Ireland.
Officials at the Department of Health said today that laboratory tests had revealed the new case of Influenza Type A in a woman living in the east of the country.
The patient, who had recently arrived from New York, is being treated at home.
Chief Medical Officer of the Department of Health and Children Dr Tony Holohan said the case did not come as a surprise.
"As has been said previously, we have expected further cases and indeed, still do. Both the Department of Health and Children and the Health Service Executive had planned for this eventuality and continue preparations in anticipation of further cases," he said.
Ireland's first case of H1N1, also known as swine flu, was confirmed on May 2nd.
The flu outbreak, which began in Mexico, has killed 91 people around the world. The Government last week lifted a ban on non-essential travel to Mexico as officials believed the risk of infection had receded.
The World Health Organisation said today the flu strain has spread to Taiwan, Kuwait, Iceland, Switzerland and Honduras, but with still few deaths outside of Mexico.
The latest tally from the the United Nations agency said its labs have confirmed 12,515 infections with the newly-discovered strain.
Mexico remains the epicentre of the disease outbreak with 4,174 cases and 80 deaths. The other fatalities have been in the United States, where nine people have died, and Costa Rica and Canada which have reported one death each.
The WHO said that the airborne virus has been detected in 46 countries around the world, in all regions except for Africa which has yet to report an H1N1 infection. The biggest pockets outside of North America so far are in Japan, Britain and Spain.
Additional reporting: agencies