The number of people infected with the A/H1N1 influenza in Taiwan is increasing at a speed of 20,000 per week, with 104 people currently in critical conditions, local health authorities said Thursday.

The critical patients include an eight-month-old boy who was reported to the health authorities on Tuesday. He was the first critical patient under the age of one on the island.

Taiwan has already put Chiu Cheng-Hsiung, deputy head of the island's "Executive Yuan", in charge of A/H1N1 flu control, with the aim of better inter-department cooperation.

Taiwan education authorities will also invite presidents of the island's colleges and universities to discuss on-campus A/H1N1 prevention on Friday, as students are expected to return to the schools in mid September.