Human swine flu has claimed a 59-year-old patient at Yan Chai Hospital and a 47-year-old leukemia patient at Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital  - Hong Kong's eighth and ninth fatal cases.

The Yan Chai Hospital patient had a history of chronic illness. He developed flu symptoms on August 15 and attended the hospital's accident and emergency department. He was admitted to the isolation ward on August 20.

He received Tamiflu and antibiotics and was transferred to the intensive-care unit in critical condition on August 21. He died at 2am today.

The leukemia patient was admitted to Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital's Intensive Care Unit after visiting the Accident & Emergency Department with fever and shortness of breath on August 27. He was confirmed to have human swine flu on August 28 and was given Tamiflu and antibiotics. He remained in critical condition and required ventilation support. His condition continued to deteriorate and he died at 4.06pm today.

As at 2.30pm today, there were 321 newly confirmed human swine flu cases involving 174 males and 147 females aged six months to 82 years, bringing the tally to 12,456.