TEHRAN - Twenty-two Iranians have so far died from swine flu and hundreds more have been infected, the health ministry said in a report Wednesday by the official IRNA news agency."So far, 22 people have been reported dead from swine flu, while 1,638 have been diagnosed with this illness," Mohammad Mehdi Gooya, the ministry's disease centre chief, was quoted as saying.
He said most of the victims infected with the A(H1N1) virus were aged between seven and 24.
Separately, three schools in Tehran were shut after reports the virus was spreading there, Jomhuri Eslami newspaper reported.
The head of the education department in southeastern Sistan-Baluchestan province, Ebrahim Etesam, told IRNA on Tuesday that "in the past week, 12 schools have been shut due to the spread of swine flu."
He did not specify how many students were reported sick.
Iran reported its first swine flu death on August 26, that of a 36-year-old woman drug addict.
As a precaution Iran has placed restrictions on pilgrims planning to travel to Saudi Arabia for the annual Muslim hajj, expected to begin in November.