MANILA, Philippines -- Swine flu cases around the country soared past the 400-mark as the virus struck another Metro Manila school but the picture was not all that grim: Nearly 80 percent of those stricken have bounced back to full health.

The high recovery rate bolsters earlier assessments that the Influenza A(H1N1) virus that has leaped from one part of the country to another is of a mild nature, health officials said yesterday while stressing the need for continued vigilance.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said 36 new confirmed cases had been recorded as of yesterday afternoon, bringing to 428 the total number of cases since the Philippines chalked up its first confirmed case on May 21.

Of the total, 339 patients -- or 79 percent -- are now fully recovered.

Details about the cases have not been released and it was not clear if the total included a 14-year-old Filipino football player taking part in the Asian Youth Games in Singapore, who has caught the swine flu.

As a result, the teenager’s teammates had to be quarantined and matches against the Philippines postponed, Reuters reported.

It said the Filipino player developed a fever during a practice session on Friday, but was now in a stable condition.

The Asian Youth Games involves around 1,400 teenagers competing in nine sports.

‘Recovery is fast’

The latest Metro Manila school to be hit by the virus was Karangalan Elementary School in Cainta, where two pupils tested positive for A(H1N1), bringing to four the number of confirmed cases in the town. Officials suspended classes in the school for 10 days starting today.

“The recovery [from the infection] is rather fast,” Duque told the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

“It indicates that this is a mild form of virus. It also shows that our patients are recovering well,” he said in a phone interview.

Duque said Filipinos “shouldn’t worry at this point,” adding the virus had not evolved into something more virulent.

He also said there were patients who had become asymptomatic, or no longer exhibiting flu-like symptoms, even before they were given oseltamivir, the recognized A(H1N1) treatment.

Anti-flu shots no guarantee

Duque stressed the need for Filipinos to be watchful as the A(H1N1) strain had the capability to mutate into a nastier form.

He said the 36 new cases were all responding well to treatment.

“[The] simplest ways to avoid getting the flu are to wash hands thoroughly and to cover mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing,” Duque reiterated.

Duque also said anti-flu shots and food supplements were not a guarantee against catching swine flu. No vaccine has been fully developed that would immunize one against it, health officials have said.

Duque also said that people with preexisting conditions, such as heart problems, tuberculosis, hypertension and diabetes should take extra precaution even with the mild nature of the new flu strain.

“It’s possible they would get more serious,” he said.

Duque said the 36 new confirmed cases were 15 males and 21 females. Their age range is from 2 to 59 years old, he said. Thirty-four of the cases were Filipinos and the two others foreigners.

Mayor Mon Ilagan said the two Cainta pupils were found positive based on swab tests analyzed by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine.

The results of swab tests on several other pupils have not been released.

Two other cases were previously recorded in Cainta, a high school student from Greenland Executive Village in Barangay San Juan, and his mother, Ilagan said.

Swine flu infections in the Asia-Pacific mounted over the weekend.

In New Zealand, the first country in the region to announce a confirmed case in late April, health authorities said 213 of its 258 cases had been recorded in the past seven days. It has another 728 suspected cases, he said.

Hong Kong confirmed 20 more cases of swine flu, taking the city’s total to 255.

China’s health ministry said late Saturday that 28 more people had been confirmed with swine flu, bringing the total on the mainland to 356.

Australia’s swine flu tally rose 44 cases in one day to 2,420 Sunday.

The World Health Organization said as of last Friday, more than 44,000 cases had been reported worldwide, with 180 deaths, mostly in Mexico and the United States.