The Mexican health secretary said on Sunday that the death toll of confirmed and suspected swine flu cases rose to 103, with the number of sickened cases reaching 1,614.

Health Secretary Jose Angel Cordova updated the numbers while speaking to Televisa Mexican national television network on Sunday night.

Around 400 people were hospitalized out of the over 1,600 suspected cases, Cordova said.

The authorities are trying to confirm how many were caused by the deadly new virus strain, which has broke out in as many as seven other countries, Cordova said.

Mexican health officials reported 86 deaths earlier Sunday and nearly 1,400 sickened.

(Xinhua News Agency April 27, 2009)