The H1N1 virus has claimed 24 lives in Thailand since early this year, a Thai health official said Thursday. The highest mortality rate was reported among patients in the 55-64 and 45-54 age groups, Chaiyuth Saksornchai, director of Trang Hospital in southern Trang province, was quoted by the National News Bureau of Thailand as saying. The northern part of the country has been hit hardest by the outbreak of the virus, which first appeared in Thailand in 2010 and made a return this year, Chaiyuth said. Since the beginning of 2014, 50 cases of H1N1 flu infection have been confirmed in Trang province, he said. From January to mid-April, a total of 29,821 H1N1 flu cases were recorded nationwide, director-general of the Department of Disease Control Sophon Mekthon said, adding vaccines have been distributed to hospitals nationwide.