The London-based group Survival International said the cases of A(H1N1) were found in the Matsigenka tribe living along the Urubamba River in the Peruvian Amazon.

"The arrival of swine flu amongst the Matsigenka is especially worrying as they are known to have intermittent contact with quite isolated Indian groups living nearby," said anthropologist Glenn Shepard.

The World Health Organization says some 1,462 people around the world have died from the swine flu virus since it first emerged in Mexico in April.

Stafford Lightman, professor of medicine at Bristol University, said that native populations are particularly at risk to the spread of the virus.

"Isolated tribes have no immunity to the infectious diseases that circulate though our industrial society and will be particularly susceptible to swine flu," he said.

"This could be devastating, infecting whole communities simultaneously, leaving no one to care for the sick or bring in and prepare food."

Officials in Peru said the infected people were receiving treatment and were "out of danger," state media reported on Tuesday.

Australian swine flu deaths pass 100
The majority of Australians coming down with influenza have swine flu, authorities said Thursday, as the number of deaths linked to the virus passed 100.

Health Minister Nicola Roxon said adult trials of an A(H1N1) vaccine were progressing well, but could not confirm that the disease, which had hit 28,987 people and killed 102, was past its forecast August peak.

"It is well and truly the dominant strain of flu that is circulating in Australia this season," said Roxon.

"We're not clear that the thing has peaked, but we will say that (the number of deaths) has been a very unfortunate, but good, result in terms of trying to keep control of this."

Almost one-third of people presenting to hospital with swine flu were ending up in intensive care, with "particularly concerning" damage to their lungs, said Jim Bishop, Australia's chief medical officer.

There were 449 people in hospital with the disease, Roxon said, with 109 in intensive care.

A mass immunisation program of at least half Australia's population is scheduled to begin in October, and Roxon said the results of vaccine trials would not be available for a number of weeks yet.

Pharmaceutical company Biota, whose flagship product is the anti-viral flu drug Relenza said Thursday it would hand over 20 million dollars (16.77 million US) to its shareholders due to overwhelming returns from the drug.

Since the virus first emerged in Mexico in April, it has spread globally, reaching pandemic level and affecting nearly every country in the world, according to the World Health Organization.

The UN body said Wednesday that its tally of swine flu deaths had risen to 1,154 from the 816 announced on July 27, and the illness was now found in 168 countries and territories.

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