Dow Jones NEWSWIRES

CARACAS -(Dow Jones)- The number of confirmed cases of the AH1N1 flu virus in Venezuela rose to 586, the country's health minister said Thursday.

At the start of this week, officials reported a total of 415 confirmed cases of the virus, commonly called swine flu. The outbreak, which was first announced on March 17, has left two people dead.

Speaking on state television Thursday, Eugenia Sader said the western state of Merida, where the virus was first detected, had the largest number of cases with 195.

Sader also said that Venezuela has sufficient supplies of vaccines as she displayed a number of treatments that are being administered in local health clinics.

The medications have been imported from India, Argentina, Spain and Cuba, Sader said.

-By Kejal Vyas, Dow Jones Newswires; 58-414-249-6821; kejal.vyas@dowjones.com