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NEW YORK – At least two cases of the human swine influenza have been confirmed in Kansas, bringing the U.S. total to 11. At least eight more are suspected in students at a New York City high school, but health officials say they don't know whether they have the same virus that has killed scores of people in Mexico.
A strain of the flu has killed as many as 68 people and sickened more than 1,000 across Mexico. The World Health Organization chief says the strain has "pandemic potential" and it may be too late to contain a sudden outbreak.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta says besides the two confirmed cases in Kansas, there are nine in California and Texas.
Samples from New York have been sent to the CDC for more testing. Results are expected Sunday.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
NEW YORK (AP) — At least eight students at a New York City high school probably have human swine influenza, but health officials said Saturday they don't know for sure whether they have the same virus that has killed scores of people in Mexico. At least two cases of the flu have been confirmed in Kansas.
A strain of the flu has killed as many as 68 people and sickened more than 1,000 across Mexico. The World Health Organization chief said Saturday the strain has "pandemic potential" and it may be too late to contain a sudden outbreak.
New York health officials said more than 100 students at the private St. Francis Preparatory School, in Queens, had come down with a fever, sore throat and other aches and pains in the past few days. Some of their relatives have also been ill.
New York City Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden said nose and throat swabs had confirmed that eight students had influenza type A, indicating probable cases of swine flu, but the exact subtypes were still unknown.
Samples had been sent to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta for more testing. Results were expected on Sunday.
In Topeka, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment confirmed two cases of swine flu. A department spokeswoman said additional details would be released at a news conference later Saturday.
At least eight swine flu cases also have been reported in California and Texas.
The symptoms in the New York cases have all been mild and no students have been hospitalized, Frieden said, but the illnesses have caused concern because of the deadly outbreak in Mexico.
Frieden said that if the CDC confirms that the students have swine flu, he will likely recommend that St. Francis Preparatory remain closed on Monday out of an abundance of caution.
The city health department has also asked doctors to be extra vigilant in the coming days and test any patients who have flu-like symptoms and have traveled recently to California, Texas or Mexico.
He said New Yorkers having trouble breathing due to an undiagnosed respiratory illness should seek treatment, but shouldn't become overly alarmed. Medical facilities in the part of Queens near St. Francis Prep, he said, had already been flooded with people overreacting to the outbreak.
Overall, flu cases have been declining in the city in recent weeks and months as the flu season abated, Frieden said.
A strain of the flu has killed as many as 68 people and sickened more than 1,000 across Mexico. The World Health Organization chief says the strain has "pandemic potential" and it may be too late to contain a sudden outbreak.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta says besides the two confirmed cases in Kansas, there are nine in California and Texas.
Samples from New York have been sent to the CDC for more testing. Results are expected Sunday.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
NEW YORK (AP) — At least eight students at a New York City high school probably have human swine influenza, but health officials said Saturday they don't know for sure whether they have the same virus that has killed scores of people in Mexico. At least two cases of the flu have been confirmed in Kansas.
A strain of the flu has killed as many as 68 people and sickened more than 1,000 across Mexico. The World Health Organization chief said Saturday the strain has "pandemic potential" and it may be too late to contain a sudden outbreak.
New York health officials said more than 100 students at the private St. Francis Preparatory School, in Queens, had come down with a fever, sore throat and other aches and pains in the past few days. Some of their relatives have also been ill.
New York City Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden said nose and throat swabs had confirmed that eight students had influenza type A, indicating probable cases of swine flu, but the exact subtypes were still unknown.
Samples had been sent to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta for more testing. Results were expected on Sunday.
In Topeka, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment confirmed two cases of swine flu. A department spokeswoman said additional details would be released at a news conference later Saturday.
At least eight swine flu cases also have been reported in California and Texas.
The symptoms in the New York cases have all been mild and no students have been hospitalized, Frieden said, but the illnesses have caused concern because of the deadly outbreak in Mexico.
Frieden said that if the CDC confirms that the students have swine flu, he will likely recommend that St. Francis Preparatory remain closed on Monday out of an abundance of caution.
The city health department has also asked doctors to be extra vigilant in the coming days and test any patients who have flu-like symptoms and have traveled recently to California, Texas or Mexico.
He said New Yorkers having trouble breathing due to an undiagnosed respiratory illness should seek treatment, but shouldn't become overly alarmed. Medical facilities in the part of Queens near St. Francis Prep, he said, had already been flooded with people overreacting to the outbreak.
Overall, flu cases have been declining in the city in recent weeks and months as the flu season abated, Frieden said.
