Brazilian boy's custody granted to U.S. father

RIO DE JANEIRO, June 1 (Xinhua) -- A Brazilian court ruled Monday evening that the boy Sean Goldman, whose custody is being disputed by his American father and Brazilian stepfather, is to return to the United States.

The court ruling said the child's stepfather Joao Paulo Lins e Silva with whom Sean has been living so far, must return the boy in 48 hours. The Federal Police will monitor the family to avoid an escape attempt.

Nine-year-old Sean have lived in the U.S. with his parents, David Goldman and Bruna Bianchi, until he was four. After the parents divorced in 2004, the mother was granted full custody and moved back to Brazil.

Since then, a fierce court battle has been occurring with the father alleging that Bianchi kidnapped his son. Last year, the case took a new direction when Bianchi died of complications from the birth of her daughter.

The Goldman case became famous over the years after David Goldman appeared in several U.S. talk shows. In March, when Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva visited Washington D.C., he discussed the case with his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama, saying Sean's case was to be decided by the courts only.

Sean's stepfather Lins e Silva said he will appeal against the judge's decision. According to his lawyer Sergio Tostes, the judge did not take into consideration Sean's repeated statements that he wished to stay in Brazil with his sister and stepfather.

"It is a violence never seen before in the Brazilian courts," Tostes said.

Zookeeper killed in tiger attack in New Zealand

WELLINGTON, May 27 (Xinhua) -- A zookeeper died on Wednesday after being attacked by a white tiger at a wildlife park near New Zealand's North Island city of Whangarei, Radio New Zealand reported on Wednesday.

Police said Dalu Mncube was killed by a white tiger while cleaning an enclosure with another keeper at the Zion Wildlife Gardens.

Despite the best efforts of the other staff members who rushed to his aid, the male tiger would not let Mncube go and he died at the scene from "tearing" injuries to his head, torso and lower leg, the radio reported.

The white tiger, one of only 120 in the world, has been put down and the park has been closed, while police and Department of Labor staff investigate further.

Eight foreign tourists on a tour of the park have witnessed the attack. The park is home to 42 rare lions and tigers.

Migrant worker gets jail term for setting time bomb on city bus

GUANGZHOU, May 27 (Xinhua) -- A local court in south China's Guangdong Province Tuesday convicted a migrant worker who set a time bomb on a city bus last August of jeopardizing public security and sentenced him to six years in prison.

When contacted by Xinhua Wednesday, Haizhu District Court in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong, confirmed that after the verdict was read out, Huang Xin, the convict, told them he believed the penalty was too heavy and would appeal his case.

The court was told that Huang Xin, 25 and a native of Binyang County, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, worked as a transient worker with a factory in Huadu District of Guangzhou. He had also developed a hobby playing a lottery game called "mark six".

Around 3 p.m. Aug.21, Huang got onto a city bus No.125 with a homemade time bomb which was attached to a letter for Guangzhou City Mayor Zhang Guangning demanding Zhang and Guangzhou Nanfang Metropolis Daily, a local newspaper, to text message the winning lottery numbers to his cell phone. He placed the bomb beneath a seat close to the rear tires on the left before he got off, said the prosecutors.

The bomb went off around 4 p.m. on the same day when the bus was passing through Haizhu District, a downtown area in Guangzhou, blowing a hole in the bus deck.

The accident didn't cause any death or injuries as there was only one passenger and the bus driver onboard when the explosion occurred.

Huang was detained from his factory dorm the next day. He was formally arrested in September.

The Haizhu District Court opened its first hearing on Huang's case in January, but didn't produce a ruling because Huang's lawyer insisted his client's behavior was weird -- asking for the lottery's winning numbers by issuing a threat to the mayor and even the newspaper -- and demanded an assessment of Huang's mental fitness.

Tuesday's hearing was focused on Huang's mental health.

The prosecutors Tuesday presented a certificate produced by Guangzhou Mental Illness Hospital claiming Huang had not suffered a history of mental illness and was fully capable of controlling his actions when he was committing the crime. The certificate was signed and sealed by three medical doctors.

The prosecutors theorized that Huang planted the time bomb on the city bus in order to get the lottery's winning numbers. "Though he alerted the police about the bomb, Huang asked the police for the winning numbers with a new threat saying there would be an explosion on the bus," said one prosecutor, who blamed poor education for Huang's strange behavior.

The court ruled that Huang had committed a crime that endangered the safety of lives and the health of the public, and of corporate property.

On hearing the penalty, Huang expressed remorse and demanded lenient treatment by the court.

According to Chinese laws, Huang should submit a written document within ten working days from Tuesday if he intends to appeal his case to a higher court.

Village told to change name or it won't exist

BEIJING, May 25 -- A village had to change its name, or character, because
the name includes two rarely used Chinese characters that can't be found in a
new police computer system.

The characters for "Tang" and "Lu" have been used for decades but Tanglu
residents who tried to get a marriage certificate had trouble since the
computers didn't recognize their hometown marked on their ID cards.

The system also became a problem for those seeking employment, travelers
and those doing real estate transactions.

Some villagers and experts said changing the village's name is damaging to
their culture and customs but police said it would be too expensive to change
the computer programs.

(Source: China Daily/Yangcheng Evening News)

Nepali Sherpa scales Qomolangma for historic 19th time

BEIJING,May 22 (Xinhuanet) -- Nepalese Apa
Sherpa climbed Mount Qomolangma for a record 19th time, breaking his own record
set last year.

The 49-year-oldSherpa reached to the top
ofthe world's highest peakThursday morning, officials said.

ASalt Lake City resident since 2006, Sherpa has
made it to the summit of Everest 19 of the past 20 years and completed the
amazing task for eight straight years. The next closest total was 16 going into
this spring's climbing season.

The 5-foot-4, 120-pound Sherpa from the village of
Thame said: "Up to the 17th time in 2007 I climbed as a professional, as part of
my occupation," according to the Web site tracking the progress of his most
recent expedition.

"But last year I climbed to raise funds for a school
in Thame. In addition to raising money for Nepali school kids." Apa also plans
to remove more than two tons of garbage from Mount
Qomolangma.

The summit season on Everest begins in late April and
May when a small window between the spring and summer monsoon offers the best
conditions for making the ascent.

More than 100 climbers have already made it to the
top this spring season, in which 29 expedition teams are in action.

(Agencies)

NZ police hunt couple after 10 mln NZ dollar banking error

WELLINGTON, May 21 (Xinhua) -- The New Zealand police were hunting a couple who were thought to have fled with millions of dollars after a banking error, New Zealand media reported on Thursday.

The couple, who ran a service station in the North Island city of Rotorua, are understood to have applied to Westpac Bank for a 10,000 NZ dollar (6,000 U.S. dollars) overdraft and mistakenly had10 million NZ dollars paid into their account.

Police said that some of the money had been withdrawn.

The bank account owners had since disappeared and the Interpol had been called in to help find them.

Police were currently conducting an investigation into the individuals that may have been involved in the withdrawal of that sum of money.

The service station has since closed its doors after going intoreceivership.

The Westpac said court action had begun to recover the money but refused to comment further.

New bird found in eastern Nepal

KATHMANDU, May 15 (Xinhua) -- Ornithologists have
found yet another species of bird in Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve area in
Sunsari district in eastern Nepal, local media reported on Friday.

According to myrepublica.com, the new bird has been
identified as Daurian Redstart (Phoenicurus auroreus).

According to a press statement issued by Bird
Conservation Nepal, two ornithologists found the bird for the first time in the
country in one of the islands of Koshi River on Dec. 25, 2008.

Since then the ornithologists have seen this bird at
least three times again. They have recorded around 750 bird species in the
country -- more than any other ornithologists' total for this country -- so far.

The bird forms part of a large bird family known as
Muscicapidae. This species is known to be found in India, China, Myanmar,
Russia, Japan and few South East Asian countries during winter.

Experts believe that this species may be a migratory
species to Nepal. The habitat of the bird may not have been surveyed properly in
the past. Further surveys are recommended in the area. With this find, Nepal now
has 864 species of birds.

The bird is believed to be a regular winter visitor
to eastern Nepal, said the report.

Flu delayed Spanish woman from learning of record lottery prize

BEIJING, May 14 (Xinhuanet) --The Spanish winner of the world¡¯s biggest ever-single lottery prize worth 126 million eurosawarded Friday, turned out to be awoman whodiscovered about the jackpotMonday becauseshe wasbed-ridden with flu, officials said.

A 25-year-old Spanish woman from the island of
Majorca was tracked downby officials Monday, online lottery seller
Serviapuestas said in a statement Tuesday.

"I was still sick on Monday so I decided to go to
work out of fear of losing my job given the economic crisis we are going
through," she was quoted as saying in the statement.

The woman was the only one to tick the five correct
numbers (4, 23, 24, 29, 31) and two stars (8, 9) and win the huge jackpot drawn
in Paris in a ticket which she bought through Serviapuestas.

"When she learned the news she was frightened and at
the same time very, very moved. Logically she asked us many questions," the
company said in the statement.

She also told Serviapuestas that when they first
contacted her "I thought they were pulling my leg.... I thought it was some
publicity."

The woman said she now plans to buy a country house
in Majorca and raise horses.

(Agencies)

Diamond sells for record 6.2 million pounds

BEIJING, May 13 (Xinhuanet) -- A rare blue diamond weighing 7.03 carats sold for a record 10.5 million Swiss francs (6.2 million pounds) at auction in Geneva Tuesday.

The rectangular-shaped blue stone, the rarest to enter the international market this year, was the centerpiece of its semi-annual sale in Geneva, conducted by David Bennett, chairman of Sotheby's jewellery department in Europe and the Middle East, who said the results showed the market's resilience despite the economic downturn.

The internally flawless gemstone went to an anonymous telephone buyer after a 15-minute bidding battle between two callers.

"It is fantastic in this market and shows that these rare things are very much in demand," he said.

The new owner will have the right to name the stone, which is mounted in a platinum ring.

(Agencies)

German slapped with 900 euros fine for beheading Hitler's wax figure

BEIJING, May 13 (Xinhuanet) -- A German court Tuesday fined a former cop 900 euros ($1,600) for knocking off the head of a wax figure of Adolf Hitler in a Berlin museum last year.

The 42-year-old Frank Lachner decapitated the likeness of the Nazi dictator on the opening day of the Madame Tussauds museum last July.

The man said the move followed a bet he took with friends a day before the museum's opening and was carried out "to save face." He said he and his friends had all thought the exhibition with the controversial Hitler waxwork was "completely inappropriate."

The man said he strongly objected to the Nazi leader being on display just 500 metres away from the German capital's Holocaust memorial.

Madame Tussauds said the museum avoided politics, arguing Hitler stood for a significant part of German history and his waxwork therefore had a legitimate part in the exhibition.

The court said the man had to pay 15 euros every day for the next 60 days and that the fine had been halved because of his financial circumstances.

(Agencies)

India breaks Guinness Record in choir singing

NEW DELHI, May 12 (Xinhua) -- Over 160,000 people in twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad in West India gathered to sing in one voice and made it to the Guinness Book of World Records, local tabloid Mail Today said Tuesday.

The mammoth gathering paid a tribute to the 15th century South Indian Telugu composer Tallapaka Annamayya by singing seven classical songs composed by him at the Secunderabad Parade Grounds in the twin cities Sunday evening, according to the report.

The previous record was set more than seven decades ago by a German choir on Aug. 2, 1937, when 60,000 people sang the German national anthem in chorus under Nazi orchestration.

In the twin cities, the sprawling ground was packed with people of all age groups and from all walks of life. They joined a team of classical singers led by Carnatic -- a south Indian form of music -- vocalist Garimella Balakrishna Prasad. The event marked the Telugu composer's 601st birth anniversary, said the report.

The composer wrote over 35,000 songs in praise of Hindu Lord Venkateswara.

A Guinness representative, Raymond Marshal, announced after the choir finished its performance that a new record had been set. 

Man drives Chery into BMW for saving little girl

BEIJING, May 10 -- A young man drove his Chery car into a BMW that was
sliding down a slope towards a six-year-old girl. The Youth Times reports.

On Friday, a businesswoman surnamed Huang was in a rush when she drove her
brown BMW to a business talk in Wenzhou, in Eastern China's Zhejiang Province.
Huang's BMW scraped a motorcycle on a sloped road, and she left her car to ask
the motorcyclist about the injury, forgetting to put her car into parking gear.
As bystanders paid attention to the injured motorcyclist, her car began to slide
down the slope.

While this was happening, a young man surnamed Chen,driving his friend's
Chery car, saw the BMW sliding down the road towards a little girl who was
unaware of the looming danger.

After honking many times in vain, Chen made his decision and drove his car
to block the BMW's way.

The traffic police said after the incident that Chen's car was not badly
damaged. The severity of the situation was highlighted by the fact that the
height of the BMW's front is the same as the girl's height. Without Chen's help,
the girl's head could have been hit by the BMW.

(Source: CRIENGLISH. com)

Rare bird flies back from the dead

BEIJING,May 9-- The future of a rare species of bird that was once thought to be extinct got a huge lift this month when a chick was born at a zoo in south China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

Without feathers and barely able to walk, the 30-gram pink bird, a white-eared night-heron, is eating four small fish every one and a half hours and making great progress since it broke out of its shell on May 3 at Nanning Zoo, Nanning Evening News reported on Friday.

The bird was hatched in an incubator and is being fed artificially but is 100 per cent real - one of only a handful of the species on the planet.

The bird should be strong enough to walk in 20 days and ready to meet the public three months later.

It is the offspring of two herons that were found in 2003, along with a third that subsequently died, by local people, who sent them to the zoo. The parents laid two eggs last April, which they broke accidentally, and two more on April 4, that they abandoned in the nest. Those eggs were put in an incubator and one hatched.

White-eared night herons, or Gorsachius magnificus, are one of the most endangered species of birds in the world.

They were thought to be extinct until some were found in mountainous areas of Zhejiang, Fujian and Hainan provinces in the 1920s.

(Source: China Daily)

Four new A/H1N1 flu cases confirmed in Britain

LONDON, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Four new cases of the A/H1N1 flu cases were confirmed on Wednesday in Britain, bringing the total number to 32 in the country.

The Department of Health announced on Wednesday that the four new cases are all adults associated with travel to Mexico. The infected adults are all from different parts of England.

To date, 28 of the 32 confirmed cases in Britain are from England while Scotland has four.

"It is right that we are preparing for the possibility of a global pandemic. The UK's arrangements are continuing to ensure that we are well-placed to deal with this new infection," said a statement from the Department of Health.

Five schools in the country have been closed after some students attending the schools have been tested positive. Three of the schools are in London, and two are in southwest of the country.

Students from those schools might be exempted from sitting exams under emergency plans being considered.

A/H1N1 flu confirmed cases down to 8 in Asia-Pacific region

HONG KONG, May 6 (Xinhua) -- The number of confirmed cases of influenza A/H1N1 in the Asia-Pacific region drops to eight as New Zealand ruled out one case on Wednesday.

More tests were carried out on a sixth person who had been identified earlier as having the influenza A/H1N1 virus but the tests ruled out the virus.

There are two confirmed cases of the influenza A/H1N1 in South Korea while one in China's Hong Kong.

The Ministry of Health in New Zealand said there are 14 probable cases - one down from the number of Tuesday. There are 84suspected cases and another 358 people are in isolation and treated with Tamiflu.

Meanwhile, six students and two teachers from Avondale College in Auckland are in self-imposed isolation after traveling on a plane from America with a person suspected of having the virus.

Numbers of suspected cases, and those receiving treatment and in isolation, will fluctuate when more suspected cases are found, or suspected cases are ruled out, a spokesman with the country's health authority said.

There is no evidence of community transmission in New Zealand which is in the containment phase.

Despite there being no confirmed cases of the new flu in Australia, the country's Health Minister Nicola Roxon said on Wednesday that the threat level was not downgraded.

"We do have medical experts saying to us we still don't know how this global virus will develop over future weeks," Roxon told reporters in Melbourne.

The latest suspected cases in Japan are a woman, in her 20s, who recently returned home from the United States, and a man, in his 40s, who tested positive in flu A examination and is yet to be confirmed, according to Japan's health ministry.

Japan has yet to confirm any cases of the A/H1N1 strain so far, although some people have tested positive for the influenza A virus.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura on Wednesday ordered the health ministry to make preparations for a possible upgrade of the World Health Organization's pandemic alert for the A/H1N1 flu to the highest level of 6.

In contrast, the authorities in Singapore said it will lower the alert level for influenza A/H1N1 from "orange" to "yellow."

Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan told a news conference that the downgrading will be done progressively over the next five days, but adding that Singapore will remain vigilant and act nimbly.

In Hong Kong, where the first infection case in Asia was confirmed on May 1, 12 Mexican travelers left the city for Mexico on a Mexican charter plane on Wednesday morning. But the Mexican index patient, in stable condition, remained in hospital.

Four Mexican travelers, including two who have been quarantined in Metropark Hotel in Wanchai and another two in Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH), were among the 12 Mexicans.

Quarantine orders imposed on other people in connection with the case would be withdrawn when the orders expire later this week, provided that they show no symptoms of influenza A/ H1N1 infection, a spokesman for the region's health authority said.

The charter plane was sent by the Mexican government to pick up Mexicans "who wanted to leave China." It had flown to Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangzhou to pick up passengers.

The Bruneian government also lifted quarantine on about 200 passengers, who had arrived on a flight from Britain on Monday evening.

A passenger on the flight had higher-than-normal body temperature, Health Minister Setia Hj Suyoi Hj Osman said, adding that two other passengers on the same flight had traveled to flu-affected countries.

The minister said these three cases made it necessary for the authorities to take precautionary measures and quarantine all passengers on the flight.

To prevent against influenza A/H1N1, the government of Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) on Wednesday announced that it will initiate a series of anti-flu activities which mainly involve a campaign to clean the entire city.

The region's health authority will launch a city-wide anti-flu activities, including the cleaning of public facilities, relevant exhibition and seminars of A/H1N1 flu prevention so as to raise the resident's awareness of personal and public hygiene.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), together with China, Japan and South Korea, will hold a "Health Ministers' Special Meeting" for combating influenza A/H1N1 on May 7-8 in Thailand.

The urgently-arranged meeting is aimed to slow down the propagation of the new Influenza A/H1N1 epidemic in the region, Dr. Suphan Srithamma, spokesman of Thailand's Ministry of Public Health said on Wednesday.

The main objective is to assess the latest development of the new strain of influenza in ASEAN countries and improve control and preventive measures while working on new effective control innovation, he said.

The control measures are expected to include surveillance system, laboratory examination, stockpiles on anti-viral drugs, research and development on vaccine development and epidemiological information exchange.

Vietnam reports one A/H1N1 flu suspected case

HANOI, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Vietnamese health officials said on Wednesday that a traveler from Czech Republic who arrived in Hanoion Wednesday morning was suspected of being infected with the A/H1N1 flu virus.

The patient has been taken to the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology for treatment and isolated from other persons, said Nguyen Van Kinh, director of the institute.

The patient came to Vietnam by way of Germany and arrived at Hanoi airport on Wednesday morning. The patient showed symptoms of fever and was taken to hospital immediately. His test result has not come out yet, said Kinh.

Vietnamese Health Ministry said on Wednesday that no confirmed A/H1N1 case has been reported in Vietnam so far.

Swine flu scare: Spanish man locked in prisoners' ward

Special Report: World Tackles A/H1N1 Flu 

BEIJING, May 6 (Xinhuanet) -- A Spaniard suspected of having swine flu was quarantined in a prisoners ward after the doctor learned he was on a holiday in Mexico.

The man had gone to the hospital to complain of a
rash. He was confined for three days and warned that if he tried to leave he
could face legal action under rules to control epidemics, Spanish newspaper El
Pais said, quoting the man.

The rules came into effect in Spain in response to a
flu virus that has killed 26 people in Mexico.

The man was referred to Madrid's Carlos III hospital
immediately after the doctor learned the man had been to Mexico. The staff in
Carlos III hospital were so afraid of the virus that they instructed the patient
on how to take his own temperature from behind a window.

"It took me two days to learn how to read the mercury
thermometer. They'd tell me over the telephone 'Turn it that way and you'll be
able to see it,'" the man said.

The man said he suffered because of the heating in
his room, which had the windows permanently locked.

"I thought it was because of infection, because they
were afraid the virus might get out through the window, but it turned out that I
was in a ward reserved for prisoners and mental patients," he told El Pais.

(Agencies)

Thai Health Minister: 2 Thais, German free of influenza A/H1N1

Special Report:
World Tackles A/H1N1
Flu


BANGKOK, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Two Thais and a German
tourist are free of the influenza A/H1N1 according to laboratory tests, Witthaya
Kaewparadai, Thai Minister of Public Health said Wednesday.

The three were earlier quarantined at hospitals
shortly after arriving at Thailand's Suvarnabhumi International Airport in
Bangkok since they developed flu-like symptoms.

All of them were allowed to return home, said
Witthaya, Thai language-news agency INN reported.

In a related development, Witthaya disclosed health
ministers of the ASEAN member countries and China, Japan and South Korea have
already confirmed participation in the health ministers' meeting on Thursday and
Friday in capital Bangkok.

The meeting plans to brainstorm in finding
precautionary measures to prevent the influenza A/H1N1 outbreak in the region.

Africa struggles to fend off A/H1N1 flu

Special Report: World Tackles A/H1N1 Flu 

BEIJING, May 6 (Xinhua) -- The Africans are struggling to prevent A/H1N1 influenza from arriving in the continent which has already been plagued by vital diseases such as AIDS.

According to the latest tally, the A/H1N1 flu has killed 31 worldwide, 29 in Mexico and two in the United States, with confirmed and suspected cases totalling 3,271.

Although there have been no confirmed cases of the killer virusin Africa so far, experts say that the disease could weaken health system and take a huge human toll in the continent once there would be a outbreak.

"People living with HIV/AIDS would be much affected because their immune system is already weak," said Sam Zaramba, director of health service in Uganda.

While the world is focusing its attentions on the A/H1N1 flu, thousands of Africans die without notice every day due to treatable diseases.

Statistics showed that nearly 3,000 children died each day of malaria, many simply for lack of a bed net. And a meningitis epidemic that has swept countries like Nigeria has killed more than 1,900 people and have sickened 56,000 more since January.

Concerns have been raised about whether the African authorities would be able to trace the A/H1N1 influenza.

Zimbabwe, where Cholera has killed 4,000 and sickened more than 80,000, has tightened surveillance at all ports of entry by intensifying the screening of flu-like syptoms of people coming into the country.

As a preventative measure, Kenya has established 26 surveillance centers nationwide to stop a possible spread of the killer virus.

The continent's richest country, South Africa, with an estimated 1,000 people die every day due to HIV/AIDS, admits its slow response to A/H1N1 influenza.

The country is also rushing to buy thermal imaging scanners at a cost of 120,000 U.S. dollars each for installation at major entry ports. However, medical professionals condemn that it is not reliable means of determining whether or not a person is infected.

Duncan Mitchell, professor of the school of Physiology at Wits University, said it was "impossible" for scanners to detect a virus in passengers entering an airport.

The Health Ministry of South Africa now has sufficient stock of tamiflu to treat 100,000 people.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said Tuesday it was sending a total of 2.4 million treatment courses of antiviral drugs to 72 "most in need" countries including Mexico, yet did not disclose the full list of countries receiving the drugs.

A total of 1,883 people from 21 countries have now been confirmed to have been infected with the A/H1N1 flu.

Confirmed, probable cases rise respectively to 6 in Missouri

Special Report: World Tackles A/H1N1 Flu 

HOUSTON, May 5 (Xinhua) -- State health officials announced on Tuesday that the federal Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) have confirmed four new cases of A/H1N1 flu in three counties in Missouri, bring the number of confirmed cases to six in the state.

The four new cases were found during testing at the state's Public Health Laboratory of specimens sent to the lab by doctors whose patients showed symptoms of the illness, the Department of Health and Senior Services said late in the evening.

The newly-confirmed cases involve three children in Platte County, a child in eastern Jackson County and a father and son in Howard County, the department added.

The two previously confirmed cases are a 19-year-old Kansas City man who received medical care in Nebraska and a 30-year-old Platte County woman.

The officials said the state also has six probable cases of A/H1N1 flu, specimens of which have been sent to CDC for confirmation.

The six probable cases involve three children in Platte County, a child in eastern Jackson County and a father and son in Howard County, local officials said.

The State Health Department is awaiting final test results from the CDC on the six probable cases, they added.