CAIRO- As many as 1,172 people have been infected with the A/H1N1 virus, known as swine flu, in Egypt since early October and 56 has been killed, spokesman of Egyptian Ministry of Health Abdel-Rahman Shahin announced on Monday.

Related readings: 8 Americans killed in a bus crash in Egypt  In Egypt rain, sandstorms kill more than 30 people

Medical teams under the Ministry of Health monitored 559 new human cases of A/H1N1 virus last week from December 19-25, Shahin said in a press statement.

The laboratory results of the prevalence rate so far since October is natural, he said, adding that Tamiflu, the drug of choice for the treatment of influenza is available free of charge in Egyptian public hospitals and a number of pharmacies.

In early December, Shahin warned of an expected outbreak of the virus in the upcoming couple of months.

When the A/H1N1 flu broke out in 2009, Egypt took various of measures to try to limit the quick spread of the epidemic, including culling all pigs in the country.