The Ministry of Health has sharply upgraded the number of people who have died from swine flu.

Up to now, the ministry has reported 20 deaths associated with the H1N1 virus. But it says it is now including provisional findings by coroners, which adds 15 to the number.

In its latest update, the ministry says the cases were in Auckland, Counties-Manukau, Canterbury, Otago, South Canterbury, Southland, Taranaki and Waikato.

The 15 deaths occurred between June and August last year, five of them in hospitals. The deputy director of public health, Fran McGrath, says the ages of the newly associated victims ranged from the late teens to the mid-50s.

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