Three more people have died in South Korea after being infected with the influenza A virus, raising the death toll from the contagious disease to 48, according to health authorities Friday.

A two-year-old boy and two women, aged 29 and 54, were diagnosed as having contracted the H1N1 virus. All three were classified as "high risk" patients.

The number of victims is feared to rise further as officials were looking into at least 10 other deaths suspected of being caused by the new flu.

The boy died three days after being administered the antiviral drug Tamiflu, according to the officials. It was not clear when he first began showing symptoms of the new flu.

The younger of the two women was confirmed to have been infected in early November but was not prescribed antibiotics, while the older woman died despite taking Tamiflu, according to the officials.

The disaster relief headquarters, which acts as a control tower for the country's efforts to combat the spread of the disease, was set up Wednesday under the Ministry of Public Administration and Security after the government raised its alert level for the flu to the highest "red."