RIGA — Two Latvians aged 29 and 46 have died from swine flu-related conditions taking the total to 14 for Latvia, the Infectious Diseases Center reported. The spread of the disease is expected to continue at a fast rate in Latvia.

Neither of the patients lived in the capital, Riga. The areas most affected by the epidemic of the swine flu virus in Latvia are outside the capital, which has around half of the country’s population living within it and its surrounding suburbs.

The spread of the virus, which is coinciding with the regular flu season, has been rapid in Latvia. Last week alone 115 new A/H1N1 cases were confirmed the disease center wrote in a report.

The virus in Latvia has reached approximately 537 cases per each 100,000 residents, putting it well above the epidemic threshold of 100 cases per 100,000 for a virus. The majority of cases have been in under-14 age group, but other age categories are also catching up.

The spread of other respiratory diseases and pneumonia has also increased 21 percent and 67 percent respectively.

The largest number of the new influenza cases has been registered in Rēzekne with 1,497 followed by Jelgava with 1,437 cases. Daugavpils is also above the national average with 997 cases registered.