Topeka ? Kansas has confirmed six more swine flu cases, bringing the total to 18 in the state.

The Department of Health and Environment said Saturday in a news release that the latest cases involve three children in Wyandotte County, an adult and a child in Johnson County, and a child in Ottawa County.

No other details were released about these new cases.

The state health department has established a phone line for concerned Kansans to call with questions about swine flu. The number is 1-877-427-7317. Operators will be available to answer questions from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Costa Rica reported the first swine flu death outside North America on Saturday and the U.S. announced its third death from the virus, while Mexico delayed the reopening of primary schools in some states.

Japanese authorities, meanwhile, scrambled to limit contact with their country’s first cases, and Australia and Norway joined the list of nations with confirmed cases of swine flu.

Like other deaths outside Mexico, the Costa Rican man suffered from complicating illnesses, including diabetes and chronic lung disease. In the latest U.S. death, health officials in Washington state said Saturday night that a 30-year-old man with underlying heart conditions died last week with what appeared to be complications of swine flu.