BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) -- The Palestinian Authority Ministry of Health announced on Thursday that three Palestinians died of the H1N1 flu in the occupied West Bank, and 45 are ill.

Asaad al-Ramlawi, the director of primary healthcare in the ministry, confirmed that three died and 45 Palestinians are diagnosed with the illness, also known as swine flu, within the last week.

Al-Ramlawi said hundreds more were likely infected but had not been evaluated.

Swine flu, caused by the H1N1 influenza virus, infected its first known victim in in March 2009, quickly spreading around the world and triggering fears and panic.

It begun petering out by November 2009, and the World Health Organization declared the epidemic at an end the following August.